What Ever Happened To Jeffrey?
by Lighter
Summary: Updated! Epilogue. The story of Colt's new life with the McRea's. sequal to Once Upon A Dec.
1. Chapter One

Author's Notes: This one might take a while to update because of time limit I have so I hope you're patient. Enjoy!  
  
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Chapter One.  
  
Fingers ran gently over the pictures in the Douglas house. Colt never thought he'd ever in his life just stop and really look at them, as far as he'd known they've been there forever, holding moments in time of when they were little boys growing up. 'Children always leave their homes.' A voice ran through Colt's mind from when he was a few years younger and he was about sick of living under his father's rules.  
  
Now he wished more than anything to just hear the man who raised him boss him around one last time before telling him he could go out and play, or have his mother give him hugs when ever she just thought he needed one. And his brothers, Rocky and Tum Tum, how will they adjust without him?  
  
'It's all my fault, this is what I wanted, right?' He thought as he stopped on a picture of the whole family standing around outside of their Grandfather's cabin before they left that summer to come home. Colt remembered that day especially because he'd accidently threw a ball to Tum- who missed it- and lost a tooth from the sudden impact. He must have cried for hours, calling Colt a tooth murderer.  
  
He could look back on that still and smiled, it wasn't his fault, but he did feel badly about it, although when Tum smiled it was just funny looking. And Rocky, the mature one....his bud' for life. As many times as he practically spelled out, 'Colt, don't fuck up.' he never seemed to take the hint, but Rocky was always there to defend him no matter what.  
  
Letting out a sigh he could only flash back to all the horror that happened over the course of the week and now he was on his way out the door, to his new family, the McRea's in Arizona. Walking to the door he grabbed his bag and headed outside to where his family waited around the car for him. "I guess this is....goodbye....." They didn't bother with one at a time they just group hugged him tightly, whispering goodbye's to him and he responded in the same.  
  
Climbing into the taxi he looked out the window at them all one last time. Rocky, Tum Tum, Dad and Mom all saying goodbye him, but fighting tears, he could tell. They've had those same faces on since the whole thing began and as the taxi drove out down the street he sat back and remembered.  
  
Flash back. A week ago the Douglas family had just found out about the kidnapping and it seemed as if the entire world were suddenly against them. They couldn't go anywhere without a reporter getting into their faces asking question, after question about what really happened.   
  
Some of the family's friends stuck by them the whole way, while others turned their backs making up lies about them saying thing's like, "Jessica would always look at my child funny whenever she babysat him, now that I think about it," A woman said into the camera. "I wouldn't be surprised if she tried taking him next."  
  
"Turn that garbage off." Sam said walking past the t.v. "I can't believe Mrs. Robinson would say that," Tum was saying as he watched the news report going on practically as they spoke. "We helped her dumb kid when he was getting beat up." "I can't even get to the office without some damned reporter in my face." Sam said grabbing the remote. "And didn't I tell you to turn that garbage off." He snapped at his youngest child. "Sorry." Tum answered, standing up from the floor going to his room.  
  
"Honey, please. Don't yell at Tum tum, it's not his fault." Jessica was saying. "That's right Mom, because it's my fault." She looked over at her middle son, Colt, who is sitting in the arm chair sideways from her and she put on a smile going over to him placing an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry sweety," She was saying in a caring tone. "this isn't your fault either."  
  
Colt wanted to believe that but all he could say was, "Then who else is to blame...Mom? I started this whole thing and now...." He trailed off because everyone pretty much knew the rest. After that phone call to the McRea's the reporters were the first ones to knock on the door followed by the state police of Arizona, giving Jessica the court order papers saying they had to attend a court hearing in Arizona.  
  
The family kept the curtains drawn, and the blinds down to prevent people from looking into the house. This whole thing had gotten out of hand so quickly. It was bad they couldn't even get to the stores for food! They had to order in every night.  
  
Neilissa had to leave back to the campous to attend her instructors job, but she called to ask the Douglas's if they were all right, two guesses on the answer though. Colt felt horrible, he had no idea this would happen, he'd just assumed they would tell them and the McRea's would come and pick him up. But it didn't go that way at all.  
  
Briiing!!! The phone rang, trying to be louder than the noise outside and Sam picked it up. "Hello?!" He called over the noise and covered his free ear with his hand to hear whom was on the other side. "Douglas, This is Chief Baxtor, I'm gonna need you to come in for a moment." His boss said. "What?" Sam shouted. "I can't hear you over the noise sir, you're gonna have to shout." Sam stated. "Get down here now, Douglas!" Chief Baxtor shouted.   
  
"That I heard, I'm on my way sir." He hung up the phone and walked over to his wife giving her a kiss. "I gotta go in today, I'm sorry," Sam was saying then looked at Colt. "Son...you hang in there." He stated and patted his shoulder. Colt downcast his eyes and nodded. Sam grabbed his brief case and coat walking out the door.  
  
"Mr. Douglas a word!?" Was the first thing he heard as usual from a reporter. "Dad hates me." Colt said almost mutely. "Your father doesn't hate you sweety, he hates the complete lack of common curtesay the world has now adays that's all, it could never be you." Colt just shook his head to that comment.  
  
"I don't think so." He replied and stood up. "When are we supposed to go to court?" He then asked. "Youu are not going anywhere, you're gonna stay right here with your brother Tum tum while we go." His mother replied standing as well. "Okay," Was all Colt could say. "Cheer up, this'll all be over in no time you'll see." Sighing, Colt answered. "I hope so."  
  
* * *  
  
Sitting in the cab Colt noticed the man kept looking at him. "What?" He asked at the rude intrution of the mans eyes. "You're that kid on the news that everyone is talking about." The cab driver said. "So." Colt replied. "Is it true that Jessica Douglas made you do sick things in that house?" The man asked. Colt had never been so insulted in his whole life and he was about ready to punch that guy in the back of the head if it weren't for that glass being the divider.  
  
"No, and stop believing everything you hear on t.v it's pathetic...My mom was nothing but nice to me and she loved me like I was her own." Colt answered. "Yeah right kid, I know 'em when I see 'em." Colt growled at the mans comment but waved it off. "I don't have time to worry about an idiot like you." He remarked. 'My real worry is the McRea's and what's gonna happen after I'm gone.' He thought.  
  
Flash Back. The court day was horrible, Colt was watching on t.v with Tum Tum while his family was away in Arizona with the McRea's fighting over custady, which they already had, so what more did this family want? An apology? Money? Why couldn't they just take him and leave them out of it.  
  
"They stole my little boy," Mrs. McRea stated up at the stand. "I still cry every night for him." She added. "Wondering when he's gonna come home and all this time this woman had him." There was bitterness in her tone when she said 'this woman'. "Stupid loser." Tum said casually meaning the woman. "No offense though." He turned to Colt saying. "None taken." He answered quietly.  
  
After an hour of watching the hearing it was Jessica's turn on the stand and she was red eyed from crying herself. "I didn't know whose child it was, my sister told me that it was hers and she needed to hide him out." She was saying. "I honestly didn't know he wasn't hers she'd joined a cult years ago and we hadn't heard from her, then suddenly she comes to my house with this child beside her and says she needs my help."  
  
The camera went onver to the blonde woman who took after her mother and she lowered her eyes. "Assuming this is true," The McRea's lawyer was saying. "Why didn't you check back with your sister about her supposed son? For all we know you could have been in on the whole kidnapping Mrs. Douglas, providing the get away home."  
  
"That's not true! I am an F.B.I agent I would never have let even my own wife be a part of any kidnapping scheme." Sam shouted. "Take your seat Mr. Douglas." The judge snapped. Sam looked objective to it but he sat down. "Well, Mrs. Douglas did you provide the hide away home for your sister and her kidnapping scheme."  
  
"Objection your honor, Mrs. Douglas cleary could have had no idea of the kidnapping." The McRea's lawyer just rolled her eyes to the comment. "Your honor?" She asked. "...Over ruled." The judge said.  
  
"This is stupid," Rocky leaned over to his Dad and whispered. "They're clearly in the favor of the McRea's because we're in the state of Arizona, we're all waisting our time here." Sam hushed his son, but nodded to everything he was saying because it was true.  
  
As the hearing went on Colt was feeling lower and lower to the bottom of the earth as any snake in the grass could feel, his family was being eatin alive and it was all his fault. "And in addition to three days in jail in the state of Arizona, we ask that Samuel Douglas senior be removed his badge as an detective of the law in any state." The judge was saying. "We also will have any rights waved to either Shintaro child or parent from adopting children."  
  
"This is bullshit." Colt said turning off the t.v. The phone rang a half an hour after and Tum tum picked it up. "Hello?" He listened to the other end. "It's Rocky." He told his brother. "He's gonna stay in Arizona with Mom and Dad until they're out of the slammer." He listened again. "Mom wants to talk to you." He handed the phone off. "Hello."  
  
Flash forward. That was the first time his mother had ever said nothing but a stream of 'sorry's' drowned in nothing but pure sobs. 'How could I do this to them?' He wondered. 'At least everyone is at home and safe now....I hope.' 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two.  
  
"Sabrina?" Jessica said. Mrs. Douglas went to the state of Arizona to see her sister before she was taken to the prison outside of the town. The brown haired woman was so tempted to go and see her son too, but she was held away by a hefty fined restraining order from the McRea's and she didn't wanna break the law any further than she already had, otherwise she would be in jail right along with her sister.  
  
"Sabrina, it's Jessi' honey....I brought you something to eat." Jessica said holding out a bag from Burger King, her sisters favorite fast food restaurant. The blonde haired woman inside just held her knees rocking on the bed. "....Is it alright if I go in?" Jessica asked the guard. "Sure, but you won't get much response from her." He said. As the door slid away, Jessica was going to walk inside but the guard grabbed her arm to hold her still. "No funny business." He stated.  
  
"I don't intend to." Mrs. Douglas answered. Going inside the cell, she sat next to her sister and heard that Sabrina was mumbling lowly to herself. "The leader will save his sheep, the leader will save his sheep." She chanted over and over rocking herself back and fourth until her sisters hands were on her shoulders. "Sabrina sweety, please snap out of it, I need to talk to you." Jessica was saying. "The leader will save his sheep, leader will save his sheep." She began to frantically rub her hands together.  
  
Jessica took her sisters hands and held on to them to make her stop, then she placed her head on Sabrina's shoulder. "Oh honey you don't belong here, you belong in St. Mary's where you can get better care." She was saying. Her sister turned and looked at her. "Jessi?" She asked. "Yeah, baby it's me." Mrs. Douglas nodded. He sister smiled at her then turned away and continued rocking. "My sister Jessica, she always told me things like that, that's how I knew it was you." She was saying.  
  
"I know honey. I know." Jessica replied. "I brought you some burgers and fries, just like you like it..no cheese." Mrs. Douglas said holding the bag to her sisters vision. The blonde woman snapped it up and opened it taking out the contents and dug in. "That's a good girl, make sure you eat all of this for me okay?" She hugged her sister one last time when she saw the guard reopening the cell to escort her out. "Mamma will be by later to see you, with daddy okay?" Sabrina made no acknowledgement that she'd heard her but she blew her a kiss and walked out.  
  
As Jessica was walked down the hall she looked back over her shoulder. "Isn't there anyway she could serve her time in a mental clinic, my sister doesn't belong in jail....." The man seemed not to care. "Are you listening to me?" Jessica asked. "Ma'am, we do what we're told by the chief, that's all you need to know."  
  
Jessica left the police station and saw a car go by. 'My sister and my son....both gone.' She thought then started for her car. 'What have I done?' Climbing in she started it up and drove off.  
  
* * *  
  
"I want you kids to wash up good, okay?" Mrs. McRea was saying to them. "When is he gonna get here mom, what does he look like?" Her youngest son of, 12 asked. "I don't know hon' that...." She searched for a cruel word but none came to mind. "...-that family, wouldn't let him come to court with them." His mom answered, hurrying him into the bathroom. "Take a shower okay?"  
  
The boy groaned but started the water anyways. "Anna, sweety where are you?" Mrs. McRea called. "I'm in my room!" A girl of 19, replied. "Well what are you doing in there?" Her mother asked. "I told you to pick these clothes up, we gotta get this place clean for when your brother comes so he won't think we're slobs." The meduim height woman, crouched down scooping up the load of clothes herself, then walked it down the hall to the laundry room. "But Mother, we are slobs." The girl said sarcastically.  
  
"I heard that," Mrs. McRea said. "did you wash up like I asked?" "Uh huh," She replied standing. Going over to the window, she saw a red and white cab pull up. "Mom! Mom, he's here!" She called running out of the room.  
  
Outside. Colt paid the cab driver and climbed out, taking his four suit cases out one at a time. A chill ran down Colt's spine when he looked at the house, where his new-old family was waiting. "Any chance of you being an abductor, and wanna take me away with you?" Colt asked hopefully to the cabby, who laughed shaking his head, and with a wave drove up the street. "Oh my God, would you look at him?" Mrs. McRea was saying to her husband; the two of them were looking out the window waiting for their other children to assemble in the front hall.  
  
"Well are you gonna just stand there, or are you gonna let him in?" Anna remarked. Their mother laughed histerically and went to the door. Colt was walking up the brick path to the door when he saw it open. "Jefferson?" She called out and ran to him. The rest of the family followed slowly behind her walking. "Mom?" Was all Colt could get out. A tear formed in his eyes, but it wasn't from the touching reuniting.  
  
"Oh let me look at you." She said moving back but she scooped him back into a hug before she could even get a look. "Oh you're so tall, my boy" She sniffled. "My beautiful boy."  
  
...................  
  
They were inside sitting at the couch all gathered around him, glaring. A chuckle came from one of the boys mouths as they looked and he whispered in a heard tone. "I wonder if he knows who is who?" He asked. "Go ahead and guess." The boy said. Colt looked at all of them then to the oldest boy. "I know that you're Jonathan...but that's it." He said.  
  
"Yeah, I'm you're older brother, 21, but it's just Jon." He held out a friendly hand to be shaken. "Nice to meet you." He added and Colt smiled nodding. "You too." His mother's mouth dropped and she smacked his hand. "Jonathan don't be silly, you already know each other." She scolded.   
  
"Well we don't really, mom." The younger boy stated holding out a hand then slammed himself down right by Colt's hip to get a better look. "I'm Jeremy, I'm twelve." Colt smiled at him nodding. "You remind me of my little brother Tum Tum, back home." He accidently said and bit his tongue. "Tum tum?" Jeremy said. "I knew that family was weird." The boy slid off the couch and back onto the floor.  
  
"Jeremy, enough." Their mother said. "Whaat?" The boy replied and Colt laughed again. "Just like him." He said. "But Tum tum is just his ninja name, we all have one..his real name is Michael." The three children whispered to each other about it, until their mother shot them a glare. "I'm your twin sister Annalisse, 19 but you know that, and everyone calls me Anna." She held her hand out and he took it staring at her. "A twin.....I have a twin sister?" The girl smiled warmly at him.  
  
Mrs. McRea watched with a smile on her face. "You two were only two minutes apart, she's older being first born." She explained. "That's...amazing. I never would have imagined." Colt said lowly. "Oh yes, the two of you were inserperable growing up and you always looked out for each other." Their mom was saying.  
  
"Honey, they'll talk later." The father was saying. "Son, I'm your father Ben." He held out a hand and Colt shook it. "Whoa!" The man said. "You've got a grip on you, are you on any teams back at your old school?" He asked. "I was on the baseball and swim team in high school." Colt replied. "Baseball huh? Good sport, good sport." The man nodded with pride. "Your mother's name is-..." He was going to say but the woman cut him off. "He knows my name, don't you sweety?" She asked.  
  
Colt thought about it but shook his head. A little heart broken the woman answered. "....It's Jamie honey, that's alright. I can understand how you wouldn't know after what you must have been through there." "Jamie..." Mr. McRea snapped. "What, it's the truth, you don't know what kind of up bringing he had there." Their mother said. "It doesn't mean you have to interigate him about it." They fought.  
  
"Come on, I'll show you to your room." John said, taking Colt's suit cases. Anna and Jeremy took one as well and followed their brothers down the hall and up the stairs. "I'm confused," Colt stated. "If you and me are twins," He was saying to Anna. "How can I be the same age as Jon?" The three siblings looked at each other then to Colt, maybe they told you you were a little bit older than you were." Jon answered. "Oh." Colt downcasted his eyes from the conversation and the three looked at each other cautiously.  
  
"Well, here's your room." Jon was saying as he pushed the door opened with his foot. "It's big...and I get this room alone?" Colt asked walking into the already decorated and fully accessorized room- minus the t.v. "Yeah," Jeremy said, pushing past him to sit on his bed, and the little boy bounced himself up and down on it talking. "Did you have to share a room at the mean old Douglas's house?"  
  
Anna smacked her little brother on the back of the head and shot him a dirty look. "Ignore him, he's a complete nerd." She said. "My room is right across from you if you need anything" she was saying. "you know like glue and stuff and if you're anything like these guys, you will." Jonathan looked at her like she was a space martian and shook his head. "Ignore her too, they're both nerds." He said. Colt laughed to himself and looked the room over with his eyes. "Thanks. I'll remember that." He replied.  
  
"My room by the way, is up the hall." Jon said. "And my room with all the toys," Anna and Jonathan rolled their eyes hearing their little brother speak. "Is right next door to yours if you wanna come play." "Okay." Colt laughed out.  
  
The three of them looked at each other then let out a sigh. "We'll leave you alone." Jonathan said. Anna turned to leave but Jeremy remained where he was. "Let's go twirp." Jonathan said. "Aaww do I have to, I wanna stay and talk to Jefferson some more." The boy wined.   
  
"Tough, we'll talk to him later, I'm sure he wants to get unpacked and situated." He looked at Colt for the answer. "Naah it's okay, I don't mind if he stays." Colt said. "You sure, cause once he's in, that's it." His brother stated with humor. "No really, It's fine."   
  
Jonathan walked to the door with a wave then left. 'Maybe they won't be so bad after all.' Colt thought. 'It's kiiinda like being back home...only it's missing my real family.' He looked over to Jeremy who was going through his clothes putting them in the drawer beside the window. 'Yup, this place is nothing like home.'  
  
* * *  
  
"Shit." Sam swore looking through the papers under unemployement. "How is a guy supposed to find a decent paying job to support his family in this world, on such little pay?" Sam asked himself. "I could get a job." Tum tum suggested. "I can work two if you want me to." The little boy went on. "No, I don't want you to do that, you need to finish school."  
  
"Than let me," Rocky was saying as he walked hi suit cases downstairs. "Dad, you and I both know college isn't really all that important right now, I can always go back the next year," His son was saying. "But for right now, I think I should be here, it's using up too much money to be away as it is. I could transfer to a local college instead." Rocky walked over to his Dad and looked him in the eyes. "What ever it takes, just let me help you guys."  
  
Their father looked restless at his son's pleadings. "Come on Dad, it won't effect my school work I promise." Tum tum was saying. "Mine either. I'm sure if anybody's seen the news and I'll bet they have, they know what we're about to go through and who wouldn't understand that?" Rocky asked.  
  
"Yeah well sociaty isn't what it used to be I'm afraid. At least not towards people like us." Sam said. "Dad, we're not people like us, we haven't changed it's just that some mistakes were made that's all." Rocky said placing a hand on his dad shoulder. "I hope everyone esle can realize that." Sam stated sadly. Rocky and Tum Tum gave each other a look of defeat. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three.  
  
At the McRea's home, they have all sat down to dinner, but for Colt it isn't going very well as everyone is staring at him. Waiting for his first move. "This uh...this looks really good, Mo-..Mrs. McRea." He stammered. Colt wanted to call her mom, but the words wouldn't come out. He just didn't feel he could say it to her right now. "Mom honey, but thank you." Said Mrs. McRea.  
  
Colt looked down at the food in front of him. 'Peas, pass. Potatos, that's alright. Chicken," With that Colt picked it up and took a cautiously watched bite. He bit into the chicken leg and chewed the meat looking around at the gazing eyes of his new old family. "What do you think honey?" Mrs. McRea asked. "...I like it, it's good." Answered Colt, placing the chicken leg down. 'Although I wish I could eat it in privacy.' He thought.   
  
"So, let's make conversation, since when was this family ever quiet at the dinner table?" Said Johnathan, turning his attention to his new brother. "Dad told us you were on the baseball team back at your old school, what position did you play?" Colt took a sip of his milk and placed the glass down. "First base." He answered timidly, wondering about their approval.   
  
"Cool, I was on the basket ball team but only for a short time because Mooom made me quit." The boy said teasingly. "Well," The woman started to saying, wipping her mouth off. "What did you expect with all those away games you made, I couldn't be everywhere at once." Johnathan laughed and hit Colt's hand with his own. "That's the understatement of the year." He said. Now this interested Colt, he wanted to know more about the family, if he was in fact now stuck here with them.  
  
"When you were taken, Mom went Military on us all." "That's enough Johnathan." His mother said but the boy just looked at her and continued on. "She never let any of us out of the house with out her knowing about it, I'm 21 years old and still with a babysitter. Not only that I still live at home."  
  
"Johnathan Paul, McRea that is enough!" His mother had snapped. "Let's find a more civilized topic hmm? And the for the record I was taking precautions, any mother would have done the same thing if her youngest til Jeremy here was stolen away from her." John rolled his eyes and began to eat again. "So Jeff, did you have a girlfriend?" Jeremy asked. Colt huffed out a laugh and nodded. "A lot of them to be precise." "Wow! How many like a hundred?" The boy asked in pure interest. "Well uh...I'm not really sure, but there was one girl that never stopped being special to me."  
  
Colt looked down at his food while the family exchanged glances, then he looked back up with an impish smirk. "What about you, Jerm' you have any girlfriends?" The little boy twisted his face up. "Eeeuuww, girls are gross, I wouldn't even touch them." Colt laughed and shook his head. "Give it time, you'll be at an age when you can't get enough of them and then one day they'll take your heart right out of your chest, while it's still beating and leave you on some mountain, standing cold and naked."  
  
The little boy's eyes widened with questions hearing that but all he could say was, "Whoa..." "I was almost married." John said casually. "Really, what happened?" Asked Colt. "Well, she was older than me and decided to find someone that was more in her age range, on the night we were supposed to be married." Colt was sorry he asked. By the look on John's face he obviously made him open up an old wound.   
  
"But hey, I'm over it and right now I'm single." John added to remove the silence.   
  
"Don't bother asking me about relationships, I'm a quiet book worm, nobody is attracted to me." Anna remarked without a an ounce of bitterness or resentment.   
  
"It's better that you don't hon' boys are only out for one thing." Their mother said.   
  
"She's right." Colt agreed. "I was like that when I was younger, it was all I thought about. Now I'm a little more responsible."  
  
Mrs. McRea smiled with pride hearing her son agree with her. It was nice. "Tell me about the Douglas's, what was it like being a ninja?" Jeremy asked. "What's your ninja name? Can I have one?" The boy looked to his mother. "Mom can I take ninja classes, Jefferson can teach me, can't ya Jeff?"   
  
Colt looked shocked for a second. "Uh, well, I guess so."   
  
"Cool!" The boy cheered. "I don't think so," Their mom said and gave Colt a look that said, 'Don't.'   
  
"Don't you ever turn off?" Anna said, flicking a pea at her younger brother. "Knock it off! Mom, tell Anna to knock it off." "Don't throw food." Mrs. McRea said, and Jeremy stuck his tongue out at her. 'This is too over whelming, I have to get out of here.' Colt looked at his father whom during the entire dinner hadn't said a word. "May I be excused?" He asked. "Sure son." The man replied. "Just leave your dishes in the sink there." He added.  
  
Colt got up from the table and put his things away. "Could I maybe watch some t.v before bed?" He then asked. "Sure son," His father said. "No honey." His mother answered and Colt cocked an eyebrow. "Sooo, which is it?" He asked. "Go on ahead and watch some t.v son." His father said. "Thanks." Colt replied and walked into the living room, hearing their voices behind him. "He's weird." Jeremy said. "And he didn't answer any of my questions." "Well maybe if you'd learn to pause before asking another one." Johnathan stated.  
  
"Whatever." The boy said. 'I've got to get out of here.' Colt thought and continued his journey into the living room. He found himself a nice arm chair to sit in, to avoid being next to anyone when they all finished up and joined him. And knowing them it would be shortly. Since he's gotten in this house he's been surrounded by them, engulfed almost and it was driving him crazy and this was only the first day!  
  
Taking the chance to really look the living room over, he noticed that the place was actually decorated nicely, and he'd of loved staying there under any other circumstances. A phone caught his vision next and his hands were itching to pick it up, but there was an off chance that he'd get caught. But he wanted to call home and hear the voice of whoever would pick up. He didn't care who....he just wanted to hear his families voices one last time, if this was going to be forever.....  
  
........................................  
  
"Good night, Mrs. McRea." Colt said leaving the hall bathroom after brushing his teeth. The house was getting ready for bed and with luck he made it into the bathroom first. "Good night, Jefferson, and call me Mom." She replied. Colt just waved and walked into his bedroom.   
  
Sighing, Colt slipped his feet from his slippers feeling the warm carpet beneath his feet. "Thank God it's time for bed, I need the rest." Colt murmured to himself. "Maybe thing's will be better tomorrow." He figured and yanked the blanket well over his head. There was a creak on the other side of the room from the door opening and the sound of feet followed shortly after it. Moving the blanket from over his head Colt sighed seeing no one there.   
  
Pulling the blanket back over his head he sighed but the sound remained in his room, making him look out again. "What is that?" He asked himself. Before he could even react something wet ran across his face. "Ahhh!" He shouted shoving his hands outwards to keep back whatever was in the room attacking him. "What's the matter, are you having a nightmare?" His mother asked running into the room, with cucumber goop on her face.  
  
"There's a-..a-..." Colt paused seeing a large, completely white dog standing before him. "A dog?" He narrowed his eyes at it. "Its a dog?" He stated again, as though his mind were letting it register. "Mom what's going on?" John asked coming up beside her with the rest of his siblings. "Oh nothing," His mother answered walking into the room and grabbing the samoyed by the collar. "I'm sorry Jefferson, I forgot to tell you we have dogs."   
  
Pushing through the small pile up, Jeremy made his way into the room. "What's going on?" He asked with curiousity flooding his voice. Then a huge grin came across his face. "D.K.!" The boy ran over to the dog who turned and nuzzled it's muzzle into the boys abdomen. "Hey boy, when did Kelly bring you back?" He asked the dog, talking as though he were the only one in the room.   
  
"I hope he didn't scare you," Mrs. McRea said to Colt. "Are you afraid of dogs?"  
  
Colt shook his head. "No, he just surprised me that's all." His words were dry and hazey from sleepiness. How many more surprises did this family have? He wondered. "This is Donkey Kong." Jeremy stated to Colt. The dog turned and looked back at Colt and walked over dipping it's head for a pat, which he absently gave. "He's named after my favorite game, Mom let me." The little boy added. "Our other dog is a girl that Anna named Manga."  
  
"That's enough, let's leave him to sleep, Jeremy get D.K. out of here and put him outside." His mother instructed.  
  
"Aw Mom, do I have to?" He winded.   
  
"Yyes. Now move it." With an agitated sighed the little boy lead the dog out of the room. "Come on boy," They heard Jeremy in the hall. "We'll sleep in my room." His mother made a ticked sound and looked over her shoulder then back at Colt. "Good night sweety." Mrs. McRea said hurrying the other two from the hall. Closed the door they left Colt back in his silence.   
  
"Good night." Colt replied, and when the family was out of ear shot and the door was closed he lay down and sighed.   
  
"Another fine mess you got yourself into, Colt." He murmured. "My cell phone!" He remembered. "I can call home with this." Slipping out of bed, he went over to the dresser and shoved his hand down under his shirts and pulled the little black phone out.   
  
He looked at it as though the heaven's themselves had opened up and gave it to him. "I'll just call home and talk to Mom or Dad." He said dailing the number. He listened to the rings of the phone then a dail tone. "We're sorry, the number you have dailed is no longer in service, please hang up and dail again. Thank you." With that the operater hung up. "No, they wouldn't- change the number on me....." He walked over to the bed and sat down.  
  
"Maybe I pressed the wrong number on accident it is pretty dark in here." Sitting himself close to the window he made sure he pressed every number correctly. Bringing the phone up to his ear he listened getting the operator again. "No...they wouldn't change the number on me."   
  
With an air of defeat he suddenly remembered. "Lissa!" He quickly dailed her number and the phone was answered after two rings. "Hello?" A groggy voice said over the other end. "Lissa?" Colt mumbled to himself then started to cry.  
  
Outside of his door, Mrs. McRea listens soundlessly to him talk with this 'Lissa' person. "Mom?" Anna said startling the woman. "Yes honey?" She asked turning around.   
  
"...What are you doing?" Her daughter asked.   
  
"I'm um, making sure Jefferson sleeps alright tonight, I'm worried about him that's all." She explained and closed her rob over more walking to her room. Anna looked after her path, then walked quietly up to Colt's door listening in herself. She heard his voice, it sounded as though he were on the phone.  
  
'Oh Mom...' She thought in a sigh.  
  
* * *  
  
"Tum tum, sweety I want you get ready for school." Jessica said almost automatically. "I don't want you to be late." She was staring out the window, when Tum tum walked in and he could have sworn she didn't see him at all. "Do I have to? All the kids at school are gonna pick on me, I just know they will." The small boy replied. "You have to, it's your responsibility." His mother stated and turned to look at her son.  
  
Her eyes were puffy and red. She must have been crying all night again, something Jessica has done since Colt left. Tum tum was concerned but he didn't know what to say to make anyone feel better really, because he personally never had any real problems that he had to coach himself through. "Um..Mom." He started and walked over to her giving her a hug. "You're still the best mother in the whole world." He stated.  
  
Jessica smiled weakly and gave her son a squeeze around his waist then released him. "Thank you honey, now go get dressed, I'll make your breakfast while you get your things together." Tum tum ran upstairs and into his bedroom.   
  
In the room across the hall Rocky was on the phone with Neilissa. She was telling him about last night and he just shook his head hearing everything. "He says they did nothing but stare at him the entire time waiting to see what he was going to do next." She informed. "It's only been one day he says and already he wishes he was at home with you guys."  
  
"I can imagine." Rocky commented. "And get this, he's not really 21 he's actually only 19 and he has a twin sister!" This got Rocky's full attention, he never would have dreamed anything like that up but he knew how Colt must feel going through all that stuff and alone at that. "He says he tried to call you guys-..."   
  
"Hang on." Rocky interupted a second and strained an ear to hear the voice of his mother calling to him. "That's Mom, I've gotta go."   
  
"All right, what should I do if he calls again, he wants to know your new phone number but I didn't know what to tell him." Rocky sighed sadly hearing that. "Our phone automatically blocks any out of state calls from his number and the McRea's, so even if he did know the number he wouldn't be able to do much with it." Rocky paused a second then made his voice very serious. "Listen, I want you to be there for him, because right now you're all my brother has and you just give him messages from us I'll see that we get his."  
  
'Lissa made an unseen nod from her side of the phone then said. "No problem, I'll be your information highway." Her quaint laugh came through the phone and it made Rocky smile. "You'll never change," He mentioned and said goodbye, hanging up. "Coming!" He called to his mother and walked out of the room. "Yeah mom?" He asked when he got downstairs.  
  
"Baby, could you walk with your brother to school, I wanna make sure he's ok." She asked with kindness.   
  
"Sure thing." Rocky sat down and looked at her while she idly made breakfast. "Mom are you alright? I'm supposed to look for a job today but, I'll stay home for you if you need me around here."   
  
Jessica laughed, her voice was distant but she laughed. "Rocky no, this is actually helping to keep me busy while I...I need this okay." Rocky looked down and nodded. 'This is so hard on her, I wish she didn't feel like she had to go through with it alone.' He thought. His little brother entered the kitchen and walked over to the stove. Jessica gave him a plate filled with pancakes and eggs and bacon and come sausage. "Cool!" Tum cheered and sat down. "Rocky, you hungry?" She asked him holding out a plate.   
  
"Ummm...sure. I'll fix it myself though." He said standing up to grab a plate. "Sweety I already fixed yours." She mentioned. "Yes, but you need that more than me and I can get my own breakfast so it's okay." Jessica's face scrunched and she shoved the plate into his hands before he could even hold on to it and it went crashing to the floor. "Oh Mom I'm so-.." Rocky started but was cut off.  
  
"Look at what you did." Jessica said frantically, stooping over to pick up the glass. "Let me get that I-..."   
  
"No! You'll cut yourself on the glass, shoot." Jessica muttered bringing her finger up to her mouth. Rocky saw the little trickles of blood on the floor and he helped her up and walked over to the table sitting her down. "Mom please, I'll clean up the plate, you just go relex in the living room for a while."  
  
"I'm sorry Rocky, I didn't mean to snap at you." She was saying. "It's okay, I understand. I'll bring you some breakfast and you go sit and calm yourself down a bit." Rocky stated. "Okay, thank you honey," She replied standing. Rocky planted a kiss on her cheek and helped her to the living room. Jessica sat down on the couch and fell asleep as soon as her head hit one of the large decorative pillows.  
  
Tum tum shuddered and shook his head. "That was scary," He commented. Rocky cleaned up the glass and stuffed it into the trash can. "We've gotta be extra nice to Mom Tum, and extra helpfull we can't let her burn out like this." He said lowly incase she were listening.  
  
"I got'cha." Replied his brother, placing his dishes into the sink. "I don't know why mom is so upset though...she didn't steal Colt, aunt Sabrina did, Mom was just an accessory to her crime." Rocky blinked at his brother then put a hand on his shoulder, steering him into the living room. "You watch too much tv. Let's get you to school."   
  
The two of them grabbed their jackets and walked out of the house. 


	4. Chapter Four

Author's Notes:Sorry for the late update I'll try really hard to make the nest one sooner. But the power cut off none stop for a few days then I've been busy at home but excuses excuses haha hope you like it.   
  
..................................  
  
Chapter Four.  
  
At the McRea's home. Colt is just waking up to the sound of the alarm. "Uuuooo," He groaned grogilly. "What the-..?" He smashed his hand down on the snooze button to the alarm he didn't remember setting. "Just let me sleep in a few more minutes." He muttered and the blanket suddenly shot over his head. "Shit." He whispered remembering where he was.  
  
'I'm at the McRea's.' He stated as a reassurement to himself. "Jefferson!" Mrs. McRea called through his door followed by a knock. "You awake honey, your oat meal's getting cold. Come on." He heard her foot steps leave the door and he looked around. "Aahh, right." He put his hand to his forehead then ran it through his hair.  
  
"I was up all night talking to 'Lissa....." Yawning he heard another knock. "Jefferson, now!" His mother shouted again. "I'm...." His voice cracked from sleep and he cleared it trying again. "I'm coming." Colt slipped out of bed hazily and walked to the dresser grabbing a pair of jeans and a nice button down shirt to wear. "Wonder if I even have time to shower." He opened his mouth and yawned again while walking to the door.  
  
"Good no line, they must all be downstairs." He turned the knob to the bathroom and swung it opened. "Oh my god!" Anna shouted. "What's wrong with you?!" Colt's mouth dropped and he backed embarrassingly out of the bathroom saying a chant of, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." His whole body felt creepy. Sure she wasn't naked but she was wearing under garmets. "Oh geez, I'll never live this down." He wandered away from the bathroom door and back into his bedroom.  
  
A moment later Anna walked in and folder her arms over her chests glaring at him. "What?" Colt replied to the gesture. "I said I'm sorry, what else do you want?" Anna rolled her eyes and waved her hands in the air. "Nothing, don't even worry about it," She was heading for the door saying. "just knock next time you see a door closed in this house."  
  
"Yeah, I'll remember that." Colt stated with a sigh. "P.S. The bathroom is clear if you want it." With that she vanished down the hallway. "Thanks," With another heavy sigh Colt walked out of the room and down the hall to where the bathroom was, but again it was accupied and he had to wait. Only this time he stayed beside the door to make claims should anyone else try to sneak past him.  
  
"Hello Jeff'," Mr. McRea was saying as he walked out of his bedroom. He was folding his tie and fumbling with the last loop to make but he paused to talk to Colt a minute. "If you're waiting for the bathroom mine and Jamie's is free." Colt smiled hearing that. "Thanks." He replied.  
  
"Hey I know what it's like coming from a big family and having to share everything," His father explained. "So take all the time you need, nobody's bugging you in there." He patted his son on the shoulder and continued down the hall. Colt couldn't help but wonder how Mr. McRea got together with Mrs. McRea they were completely different people and if it got down to who you liked best, Colt was almost certain everyone would choose him.  
  
Heading down the hall he self consciously peeked into the bedroom first then stepped inside. It was nothing like his real- well you know. His other mom's room. It was tight and repressed no real warmth to it, just a bed night stand and vanity desk with a mirror. Skimming the room with his eyes Colt located the bathroom. "Ah," He walked casually to the door and knocked first. No answer. He turned the knob and walked inside.  
  
"Wow!" No wonder the room was boring all the love was put into the bathroom. He could only blink in amazement at the things in there; make-up, nail polish, perfumes and lets not forget the shaving kit both male and female, lotions, colognes and things. A huge mirror covered a back wall and was lined with lights all showing their bulbs.   
  
The main out look is pink, but it has a whitish quality to it as well. Shaking away the marvel of it all he put his head on straight and concentrated on taking his shower.   
  
..........................  
  
Colt sneakers clomped their way downstairs but he stopped when he saw who was waiting for him at the bottom. "Where were you?" His new mother asked, looking rather pissed off. "Taking a...shower." Colt replied hesitantly and she sighed. "In this house it's up by seven and out by eight, okay sweety." She tried to change the commanding tone in her voice but it was a bit hard. Jamie knew her son would have adjustments to make but this was still her house they weren't going to change for him.  
  
Colt's eyes darted away from the womans as he said. "I'm sorry." She shook it off and hurried him downstairs. "Come on, we have to get you to school." The woman reminded. "God knows I'm already late for work." Her words trailed into the kitchen then she returned with keys in her hand and a pair of sun glasses. "Come on."  
  
The two of them left the house and she locked the door. The dogs were barking right after it, with little yelps and whimpers. 'Ha, they probably thought it was freedom.' Colt thought with a slight smile. 'Yeah, I can't let them get to me after all they're trying to get along with me and I'm just kind of...excepting it.' He looked over at Mrs. McRea and smiled. 'Today will be better than yesterday. I'll...I'll hold myself to it.'  
  
Once they climbed into the car they were on their way to the University of Arizona.  
  
* * *  
  
"Psst," Tum tum looked over his shoulder for the little whisper, but didn't see whom inishiated it. Shrugging, he turned back to his work. But then he heard it again. "Psst! Hey.." A voice called. He turned in the other direction and saw his best friend Corey waving to him. He wasn't sure whether or not to wave back but taking a chance he waved back. The little brunette tossed a piece of paper his way and he caught it.  
  
Indicating for his friend to open it, Tum tum did as he was instructed and it reads.  
  
Dear Tum tum,  
  
My mom doesn't want your kidnapper mother to babysit me anymore,  
  
and she doesn't want us to be friends either. Sorry  
  
Corey  
  
'What a crock of bull!' Tum thought and wrote on the back of the note.  
  
Corey,  
  
Your mom is full of it.  
  
Tum  
  
When he tossed it back the teacher walked by and picked it up. Corey made a weak face of innocents and a 'sorry' but Tum didn't care, he's been getting nothing but grievences all morning, why should this bother him any?  
  
Every kid waiting to be let in on the playground shoved him around calling his mother a kidnapper saying things like 'stay away from us, you're probably the one who finds her victims.' and other things like. 'If you say Jessica Douglas five times into the mirror with the lights off she'll snatch you up.'   
  
The whole thing was so overwhelming that Tum tum wanted to beat the living snot out of each and every one of them. Half those kids he didn't even know! They just heard the story on the news and decided to make trouble; they probably even had to have him pointed out to them, those jerks.  
  
"Mr. Douglas," The teacher was saying. "Yes Mrs. Pennypacker?" Tum tum replied, snapping out of his train of thought. "You know I don't allow notes being passed during class, so please don't make me have to warn you again."   
  
"Yes ma'am." He answered in a low tone. The bell rang shortly after the conversation and Tum Tum was called to the front of the room. He let out an exasperated sigh and took his time picking up his books and bookbag before going. "Michael, what's the matter?" The teacher asked with concern in her voice. "You don't normally break the rules like this." She looked at him hard and he bit his tongue to avoid snapping at her.  
  
"I've just been having a rough day." He explained turning his eyes away from her. Tum Tum wasn't in the mood to be analyzed and this was definitely getting to him, he was never one to have a short fuse but he's never been overwhelmed like this before.  
  
Mrs. Pennypacker sighed and stood from her seat coming around the desk to him. "Michael," She put her hands on his shoulders. "I saw the news and I heard some of the comments the other kids were saying....if you need someone to talk to, I'm always hear." That made him feel a little better, but it wasn't as though she could just take all his problems away with a few emotional conversations. It just wouldn't work, because the kids would still be there making jokes and giving him a hard time.  
  
"Thanks Mrs. Pennypacker, I'll remember that." He stood there quietly for a moment then adjusted the strap on his bookbag to indicate that he wanted to go. Getting the hint his teacher tossled his hair and gave him a small smile. "You just ignore them Michael, you're the bigger man." Tum Tum scoffed hearing that. He only wishes he were, because it had to hear one more comment he swore that he'd hit one of them.  
  
But every time he thought violently, his Grandfathers words would play in the back of his mind and tell him to keep his cool in any situation. "I gotta go, I don't wanna be late for my next class." With a nod he was given permission to go and he walked out of the room with his head down. "Only three more classes to go." He said to himself. 'Boy what a day...' Tum Tum felt tears well up in his eyes suddenly because he remembered that that was something Colt had always said whenever he was having a bad day.  
  
'God, why did this have to happen to us?' He wondered wiping his dry cheek from tears that were threatening to fall. 'Just let the rest of this day go by quickly.' 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five.  
  
Back in Arizona. Colt is walking down the hall with his mother to the main office. "Who is that?" A red haired girl asked, shoving a chunk behind her ear with a smile. The girl beside her turned and looked to where her friend had pointed, then she frowned. "That's my brother Jefferson." Anna remarked kind of bitterly.  
  
Her friends smile got bigger. "Riiight, your long lost twin." The girl laughed slightly saying. "And here I always thought you were lying about that, this is way trippy he looks just like you." Anna whacked her friend in the back of the head and sighed. "Whatever."  
  
The two girls started walking in that general direction and Anna's best friend started to blush and giggle the closer they got to the two. "Anna you gotta introduce me to him at lunch." The red head pleaded. "Tasha I don't think he'll be interested he's got enough of his mind and doesn't need a little tramp like you bothering him." Tasha looked beyond offended and raised her hands up taken aback. "Well excuse me, you never had a problem with me before, but now that your brother's back I'm some kind of tramp?"  
  
Anna sighed and shook her head. "No, Tash' all I meant was that he....he's having adjusting problems and doesn't need distractions right now." Anna placed a hand on her friends shoulder. "I'm sorry okay, you're not a tramp I didn't mean it." Tasha seemed to be thinking it over then she smiled. "Okay, thanks for taking it back." Annalise smiled and gave her friend a quick hug.  
  
Colt turned his head and saw his sister in the crowd then he smiled slightly and waved to her. She waved back and her friend nearly died with giggles and squeals.   
  
In the office, already in the process of conversation. "We'll be needing his past school records, where he went, his markings that sort of thing." Jamie nodded hearing this and flipped her bangs from her eyes saying. "We don't have his records yet, but I'll make a phonecall for them as soon as possible, until then will he be able to attend classes here?" The Dean raised a brow thinking about it then nodded.  
  
"I don't see why not, but you understand he won't be getting any credits until those papers are brought to us." Jamie nodded again. "Yes, I understand." The Dean fished inside his desk drawer and produced a medium sized booklet handing it over to them. "Jefferson, I want you to look this over and choose the courses you want to take while you're here and we'll see about fitting you into a class."  
  
Colt nodded. "Yes sir." He took the booklet and flipped it opened. "We hope you enjoy the university, son." The Dean reached across the desk and Colt stood up taking the mans hand shaking it. "I will. Thank you." He murmured dryly. "We're glad to have you back son." Colt found that strange of the man to say but he had no time to worry about it because of Jamie's rushing him out of the office with her.  
  
"Goodbye sir." Colt said. "Goodbye Jefferson, Mrs. McRea." The Dean  
  
.........................  
  
"Jefferson I have to go to work, do you.....do you wanna come with me?" Jamie asked when they were in the car. "What?" Colt asked coming back to earth. He had been staring into space since they left the university and couldn't seem to wanna register that all of this was going on. "Work, I have to go in today. You wanna wait for me, you wouldn't be all that bored."   
  
Colt scratched his cheek and shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm just gonna hang out at home and wait for everyone to get back if that's okay." Jamie seemed nervous about that but she sighed. "I'll just take a sick day." Jamie ran her tongue over her teeth and sighed again. Colt could sense she wanted to go to work but he didn't wanna argue the issue if she didn't wanna talk about. The two of them pulled in for a stop at a gas station in town. "You wanna get out, maybe look around for a snack or something? They have really good pastries here and since you didn't have breakfast I think you should eat."  
  
'A gas station, isn't this what started it all?' Colt mused. Either way Colt nodded. He was a little hungry and he never usually missed breakfast- well- unless Tum Tum got there first and ate it all then Jessica had to make more and he passed. 'Jessica.' The name sounded foreign to him when all he ever really wanted to call her is Mother. "Jefferson?" Jamie said again as though she had been calling him for a while.  
  
"Oh, sorry, yeah I'll go in with you." Colt climbed out of the car closing the door after him. He waited a moment while Jamie re-filled the gas tank in the car. When he didn't wanna wait around he took a step in the direction of the gas station but was pulled abruptly back. "Ow!" He said rubbing his arm from the not so light assult.   
  
"Sorry honey, just....don't wander off." She said and Colt looked at her as though she had said something he couldn't understand but then her reasons became clear to him and he relaxed his guard. "I'm sorry, I'll wait." He said quietly. For a moment the two just stared at each other but she then turned back to what she was doing. Colt looked around the area with his eyes. It was nothing like L.A.  
  
No loud cars, no bathing suits even though it's out of season, no people period. 'Where is everyone?' He wondered for a second. "Come on hon'." Jamie said and he followed her into the store. "You go ahead and look around, I'm gonna pay for the gas and get some coffee." The two parted, her to left and Colt to the right. He walked to the back of the store where he could be alone and he sighed.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening?" He mumbled to himself. 'I just had to care, my life was good so what if I wasn't really Mom's kid, I didn't have to be lots of people are adopted.' He placed his hand on one of the refridgerators and slid it across as he walked along side of them. There was a case of snapple in the back and one of them read, Green Tea. "I'll bet that taste funny."  
  
A woman walked into the store and to the back where Colt was, Jamie was chatting with the girl behind the counter and they were laughing about something. "I'm so glad he's back, my little boy." Jamie was saying. "He's adorible, all your kids are, he's the spitting image of Annalise right?" The girl asked.  
  
"Sure is, they're twins." Jamie went on boasting proudly. Colt rolled his eyes thinking. 'Where's this love when we're not around other people?' When he reached the end of the trail he figured her had to get something so he opened the freezer and grabbed a 7up and a box of mallomars from the shelf. When he turned away from the freezers something caught his eyes and he read over it. "Lost boy found, town couldn't be happier for the McRea family, welcome home Jefferson." Colt rolled his eyes. "Give me a break."  
  
"Excuse me?" The woman that had came in was saying. "Oh sorry." He stepped out of her way and she opened the freezer taking a snapple. "You're Jamie's son right? The one that was kidnapped." She asked. "If that's what I go by now, then yeah I'm the kidnapped kid." Colt answered sarcastically. The woman laughed quaintly and patted his shoulder.  
  
"You're adorible, I'd of never let you out of my sight." Colt shrugged but smiled liking the contact with another human being he didn't have to pretend to know. "You like any sports, I can tell you've got an athletes build under those clothes." Just as the physical contact was made from the woman touching Colt's forearm Jamie rushed to the back of the store calling. "Well I used to play-..." Colt was saying but got cut off from his mother.  
  
"Hey! Hey you get your hands off my son." She stopped right behind Colt and grabbed his shoulders pulling him back against her into a hug. "Jamie I wasn't...gonna hurt him, we were just talking." Mrs. McRea turned her nose up and spun on her heals taking Colt with her. "Mrs. McRea wait, you didn't pay for that stuff!" The girl behind the counter shouted as the two left. "Oh well, I'll just take it out of my own pocket, I just love that." Said the girl sarcastically.  
  
"What's with her, we were just talking." The woman said walking up to the counter. The girl shrugged looking after their retreat. "I don't know, she's probably still a little paraniod something's gonna happen to her son, I don't blame her though, I just hope she takes it easy on herself."  
  
* * *  
  
"You didn't have to do that!" Colt was shouting when they got into the house. "Jefferson..." She said following him. "We were just talking, it's not like she was gonna molest me or anything." He stomped upstairs and slammed the door to his bed room with Jamie swinging it open a second later.   
  
"Don't you take that tone with your mother, I was just worried about you that's all.....and besides she practically had you hidden in her jacket by the time I got their." She sat on the bed beside him and tried placing her arms around him but he moved away saying. "Only if I were invisable, she wasn't wearing a jacket."  
  
Jamie was quiet, feeling a little hurt from what he did then she placed a hand on his shoulder saying. "She might have....Jefferson....I can't lose you twice, can you blame me for being a little scared?" Colt scoffed at that. "I'm 21 years old, I don't need a babysitter." He should have been more sympathetic to her words but he couldn't help it. Colt was never one to live under glass that's why he rebeled so much.  
  
But Mrs. McRea was one to stronge to be fought herself and she stood up without a word and walked out of the room. Colt's shoulders dropped in guilt. 'I shouldn't have said that, but what am I supposed to do, they're not exactly making this easy on me either.' Laying himself back onto the bed he closed his eyes.  
  
"Colt!" His eye lids twitched hearing the stronge voice in his mind that was his Grandfathers. "What is a ninja?" He asked him and Colt's lips began to move with the response hearing his childish young voice when he was eleven. "A ninja is one who can use everything around him to trick his enemies, he is fast and he is friendly to his environment."  
  
A smile crept on the boys lips as he heard his former brothers words playing in his mind. "A ninja is honest and good, his mind body and spirit are one. He has self control and he has discipline."   
  
"A ninja loves nature...uhh..cause he is part of nature...uhhhm a ninja never fights a battle if he cannot win." Colt's eyes opened and he looked around the room. "A ninja, mind, body, spirit and heart are one. Alone he is strong but together he's a force no enemy can break." This made Colt frown. He was alone and strong or not he didn't wanna do this alone.  
  
But he has to. He can't just go around being a jerk because this isn't what he thought it would be, he wasn't even sure what he thought it would be....He just knew that, this attitude of his wasn't going to make living in this house any easier so he had to make amends. With a nod, Colt picked himself up off the bed and walked out of the room. He heard sounds coming from the kitchen and decided that must be where Jamie has gone.  
  
Walking cautiusly into the room he saw Mrs. McRea washing dishes that were sitting in the sink and Colt went to stand beside her grabbing a dish towel from the hook on his way. "You wash I'll dry." He said with a smile. Jamie seemed guarded at first but handed him a dish with a smile. "Thanks, I've never been found of doing the dishes, but when I'm tensed it really calms me down you know."  
  
He knew. Colt was a cleaning machine sometimes when he got ticked other times he locked hisself in the bedroom and played his guitar to pass time, but now he knows where his cleaning urges come from. The two of them worked quietly until Colt spoke up saying. "About what I said back there, I'm sorry." Jamie glanced at him to see if he was being sincere and his face seemed honest enough and she smiled faintly. "Thank you, I'm sorry too."  
  
Colt laughed soundlessly but you could tell he had. "I've been such a jerk and it hasn't even been a week, you guys must hate me." His mother turned to him shaking her head. "You've been in drama classes haven't you? Anna used to act that same way whenever she had done something wrong and had to apologize for it." Colt laughed to himself taking the next dish handed to him.  
  
"She would come around with all her, 'oh my poor heart you're killing me' hahaha. It's terrifying to know I have two of them now."   
  
"Nah you'll get used to me." Colt replied. "And you'll get used to us, I know it's not easy always apologizing to us and it isn't easy for us to keep making you we're all glad you're here but it's hard to break old habits you see. We want you comfortable even though my smuthering may get a little overwhelming you've gotta work with me honey I'm trying."  
  
Colt nodded and even though her hands were soapy she dropped the dish into the sink and wrapped her arms around him for a hug which he gave back. "We'll all try to be better for each other." She assured. "Right." Colt said pulling away. "We'd better finish up here, before we change our none habitual minds." Both of them started laughing quietly finishing the dishes. 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six.  
  
Colt made hisself comfortable, on the couch in the living room. He grabbed the remote and turned the t.v on to cartoon network, seeing a show titled, Grim and Evil starting up.   
  
'I wonder when Courage comes on?' Thought Colt staring at the screen. Their dog D.K. joined him by his feet and Colt leaned forward scratching behind the dogs ears.   
  
"Hey boy.....uhhh, D.K. right?" Asked Colt. The dog made a little yelp of what Colt imagined was a, yes. The samoyed sat up to get the full force of the petting and Colt used both hands to give the dog a good scratching behind the ears.  
  
"Haha, aren't you a good boy?" He patted the dogs side, then ran his hand along his back. Jamie heard the noises from the kitchen and poked her head into see what was going on.  
  
"You know," Colt went on, not seeing her standing in the door way. "I've always wanted a dog, but mom said they were too expensive and in her language that means, n-o pal." D.K. put his paw on Colt's knee sympathetically and he laughed. "It's no big deal."  
  
Colt smiled down at the dog then looked back up at the screen.   
  
"Hey Griiiiim, watch this," Said the young boy in the cartoon. He was talking to a skeleton that's wearing a black robe. Colt could only assume that 'Grim' meant, Grim Reaper. The little boys been riding him the whole show, about this and that. It was pretty funny sometimes, other times it was just plain stupid.  
  
Watching silently a moment, Colt then looked down at D.K. who had ressumed his place on the floor, resting at Colts feet. "I wonder what you're thinking about?" He said to the dog.   
  
"I'd give a penny for your thoughts too." Said Jamie, walking into the living room. Colt wasn't startled somehow he knew she'd be standing somewhere watching him, he always caught her doing it but, he wasn't sure if he should say anything about it or not. "Oh," He spoke. "I'm not not thinking about anything, just watching some t.v."  
  
Jamie made a sound indicating an 'Oh' and she sat herself down on the love seat. It was silent while they watched the cartoon. The corner of Colt's mouth smirked into a smile, then he laughed out loud watching the skeleton taking a shower. Jamie smiled at him and laughed a little herself. 'He sure has an adoribe laugh, just like his sister and father.'  
  
Colt laughed again and Jamie couldn't take it. She wanted to know about her son. Even though hearing about his life with the Douglas's would hurt a little, especially after hearing him continue to call Jessica his mother. But, either way she wanted to communicate with her son. ".....So uh," she cleared her throat. "So you like this cartoon?" Asked Jamie.   
  
Colt seemed a little shocked at her sudden words, then he shrugged. "It's alright I guess." He turned his head and looked at her. "I've never seen it 'til today actually." Colt turned back to the t.v. Jamie nodded to herself then said. "I've never seen it either. Me and the boys usually watch 'Mamma's Family',"  
  
Colt turned to face her again, so she'd know he was listening. "Oh, uhh," She suddenly lost her talking nerve seeing the intensity of her sons eyes. "We never really watch cartoons but Anne is Zoids maniac, I really don't think she should be watching those violent cartoons." She shrugged. "But kids...you tell them, no, they think it's a yes."  
  
Colt laughed quietly hearing that and said. "Watch out though, cause now you've got two haha." Jamie laughed herself and rolled her eyes up. "Oh lord help me!"   
  
Colt chuckled and looked back at the t.v. "But I've seen Zoids a couple of times, it's a really good show and it's not too violent or anything so you don't have to worry about it." Watching the t.v. sometimes then Colt, Jamie thought of something else she could ask him before she lost this moment.  
  
Noticing his clothes, she had an idea. "How's about you and I got shopping for some clothes this weekend? You'll need something a little more 'fit in', if you're gonna be down here." Colt looked down at his bare legs and shirt nodding as though he hadn't really noticed his clothes didn't 'fit in' as she said. 'I lost him.....What now?' Thought Jamie bringing her hand up into her mouth, but she brought it back down wiping away the little saliva on the ends.  
  
Jamie scanned her brain trying to remember anything he could have said that interested him, but nothing came up. Then she remembered he had a guitar case with him, when he arrived. "You play the guitar?" She asked casually.  
  
Colt smiled, replying. "Yeah, I had a band back in L.A, we called ourselves Haden."  
  
"Haden?" Jamie cocked a brow. "Is that new teen slang?" She then asked. Colt laughed out a repsonse and explained. "It means hades and garden mixed together." Jamie nodded saying, 'Oh'. "That seems a little....odd." Well she couldn't lie, the name wasn't her favorite but she was sure he was good at being in this band thing of his.  
  
Colt seemed to shrug off what she had said about the name and another cartoon started up. D.K. woke up somewhere between, Dexter screaming at Dee Dee for going into his lab and Dee Dee screaming when her toys were coming to life. Colt gave him an idle pat but didn't really aknowledge the dog was there.  
  
Jamie played on her fingernails, looking at her lap. Turning her vision up to Colt now, she asked him almost as silently as a shy girl. "Could you maybe play for me sometime?" Her words were reverted by, "But you don't have to if you don't want to, it was just a request."  
  
Colt hadn't waited for her to finish talking before he answered. "Sure. I'll play for you later." Jamie grinned ear to ear hearing that, then slapping her hands down on her lap she pushed herself up to a standing position. "I better start lunch, Johns gonna be home pretty soon for lunch and he's a big eater."   
  
Jamie walked halfway to the kitchen but paused her steps. "What would you like for lunch, I could order a pizza if you'd like?" Colt shook his head saying. "I'll eat whatever you make, it's fine with me."  
  
Losing her lunch making nerve she announced. "Pizza it is, I'll get a large sausage and pepperoni."  
  
Colt turned hisself on the couch to face her, shaking his head and he said. "No really, what ever you wanna make is fine with me." But Jamie shook her head, and Colt gave up the argue.  
  
Sure, she could cook for John, he was used to it. But what if Colt didn't like any of the things she made. Now she'd have to groccery shop with a whole new mouth to think about. She couldn't ask, as a mother she should just know what her son liked. Right?  
  
'This is going to be one tough year, but I love that my son is back.' She looked back over her shoulder and nodded. 'Yes, I love him.'  
  
.........................  
  
In the public library, back in L.A. Rocky is sitting hisself down at the table, opening a newspaper. He skips the front page story, which was crudely about his mother and he opens it to the middle section for the 'help wanted' ads.  
  
He looked over the ad for a 'Stop N Shop' market. "Help wanted. In need of bag boy, or register. Only requirnments are clothes for your uniform. Instructions for register use and proper bagging edicate, will be given before first day at the job. 19.76 a week plus tip." Shaking his head to that one he went on to the next.  
  
"Burger King, out." Mumbling the names of other fast food chains to himself. He decided to go with something a little more, practical. "Here we go, the GAP is hiring...."   
  
"Sam?" Someone beside him asked. Looking up to see who had called him, he grinned seeing a girl he knew as a child sit down beside him, she was Tum tum's age. They all thought of her as a little sister, but lost contact after a few years. "Yeah it's me, Georgina?" He asked.   
  
"The one and only," gives him a quick hug saying. "Hi Sammy!"  
  
"Hey Georgie, how are you?" He folded the paper up and tapped his fingers over top of it. "Pretty good. How 'bout you?" She asked in return. "....I'm as good as I can be. It's been so long look how big you are now." He said and she smiled a 'thank you'. There was silence a moment.   
  
"I'm sorry about what happened, I read it in the paper. How's your mom?" Georgina asked.   
  
"Thanks....She's doing....okay, I guess."   
  
"Must have been scary." She put her hands on his arm. "Having your son taken away from you like that.....Have you heard anything from Jeffrey or Jefferson, yet?" Rocky shook his head. "Bummer.....So yeah I'll just be going." She got up and started to walk away but Rocky grabbed her arm back.  
  
"Wait, what's the rush, you just got here." He looked into the girls eyes and she panicked a second, accidently glancing towards the large windows at the front of the library. Rocky followed her gaze and saw a man standing there watching as though he were waiting for her. "Georgina-...." Rocky started to say but she warded him off, jerking her arm free saying. "Are you spying on me?"  
  
"He's my uncle okay? He came to pick me up." Georgina looked more flustered than she should be and shook her hands to dismiss it.  
  
Georgina gave him one last look before backing away and leaving the library. "That was weird, did that guy send her in here to ask me questions about my family?" Sitting down and feeling a little pissed, Rocky sighed angrily and stood back up. "I'm out of here."   
  
Rocky walked to the door and out of he library, a huge mistake. The second he hit the sunlight the man looking in at him and Georgina. "Any comment on what's going on so far?" The reporter asked him. "No, no comment. Take a hike." Rocky swatted the recorder away from his face and started down the long stone stairs.  
  
"Any comment on how the kidnapper is doing?" The man asked. Rocky turned around facing him as though he were ready to punch the man in the face. "That kidnapper, is my mother, and I don't need or want you bothering me, her or anyone else in my family from this point on, understand?!"  
  
The man backed off from Rocky's tone, but he was persistant and followed him down the stairs to his car. Rocky had opened the door and slid himself in. Just as the man reached out to hold the door opened,Rocky closed it,smashing the mans hand inside.  
  
"Aahhhh!!!" He called out jerking it back. Rocky looked a little lost as to what his problem was not seeing that his hand was smashed into the door, he had only felt it bounce back when he tried to shut it, and drove away. "You're gonna pay for that kid!" The reporter called after Rocky, then blew gently on his hand. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven.  
  
Rocky drove home in a huff. But, he could feel his anger diminishing the closer he got to the house. "I should have handled that differently." He thought outloud. "Georgina probably thinks I'm a creep now." He shook his head letting out a sigh. Looking straight ahead, he pressed his foot down on the breaks. "Tum?" He questioned and got out of the car.  
  
His little brother was walking along the sidewalk with his head down, heading home as any other day. But something was definitly wrong with him. For starters it was only lunch time and he should be in school!   
  
"Hey Tum Tum!" Rocky called to him, getting out of the car. His little brother looked up then put his head back down. "I can walk." He heard his distant voice say. Rocky had to know what was wrong with him. He's his little bro, he couldn't sit back and watch him be upset by something.  
  
"Tum tum," Rocky said again when he caught up to him. "I said I'm walking." The boy affirmed tightly. "What's with you?" Asked Rocky, putting a hand on his brothers shoulder. The boy was silent. "Tell me." Rocky pleaded lifting his brothers chin. His eyes went wide seeing a nice sized black eye over his right eye.   
  
Rocky scanned his face turning it left to right searching for any other injuries but the black eye seemed to be the only one.  
  
"Who did this to you?" Rocky asked, with his voice full of concern and a little anger. "Sheven Whittle." Tum tum said, defeated. Rocky registered blank at the answer, that name sounded really familiar to him. "Sheven......Darrens little brother? Why would he do this to you?" Shakes his head in disbelief. "I thought you two were friends?" He then said.  
  
"I thought so too! But he came up to me during lunch, called mom a kidnapper," Tum shrugged. "then we fought."   
  
"Tum tum!" His little brother shook his head. "Don't worry I didn't attack him it was more of a one man show and I backed off, but I was sent home and I didn't wanna bother mom so I'm walking." Although Rocky didn't want his brother to get beaten up, he also didn't want him to not defend hisself when being assulted.   
  
"Is this ever gonna stop?" Tum Tum asked Rocky. The ash blonde shrugged. He didn't know. He hoped it would though, what was everyone so mad at them for.  
  
So their mother made a mistake, she wasn't the one who took Colt. She just took care of him, and damn good care of him if Rocky had any memory of it. "Come on," He steered Tum Tum towards his car and they climbed inside. "Maybe we there's a way we can stop this from happening without getting mom or dad involved."  
  
He pressed down on the pedal and they headed home.  
  
........................  
  
"Wow." Said John when he walked into the McRea's household. "Whatever you said to mom, keep it up." John tossled Colt's hair much to his brothers disliking and Colt smoothed it back into place. "Mom never lets me have pizza for lunch, she thinks it's too greasey." He gave his mother a kiss and sat down at the table.  
  
Jamie rolled her eyes to her eldest son and handed him a plate with three slices on it. "Thanks mom." He picked one up, before the plate even touched the table and dug in. "So did you guys have a good day?" Asked John, looking from Colt to his mother. She sat down running her hand over Colt's back saying. "It was fine." Colt seemed to think a little differently, but he replied with the same. "Yeah, it was alright. We went uh, to the college and got me signed in."   
  
Reaching for the booklet. "I've gotta pick out the classes I'm gonna take." John nodded and took the book from his brother looking it over. "Have you decided which ones your gonna take yet?" He asked.  
  
"Not really, but I know one of them will probably be business, that's what I was taking at UCLA." Colt took a bite of pizza and picked off a piece of pepperoni placing it down on top of the other slice he had. "Oh yeah that sounds cool." The three of them ate in slight silence except for the low sounds of chewing and the swish of D.K.'s tail on the floor, looking for scraps.  
  
Colt noticed the dog at his side and smiled down at him, picking off a pepperoni and fed it to the dog. Quickly brushing his hand across the side of his jeans, he wiped the slight dog drool from his finger tips. D.K. ate the piece of food thankfully and swished his tail faster for another piece. John laughed, after seeing what went on and Colt smiled asking. "What?"  
  
"You've made a friend for life with that dog, once you feed him he won't leave you alone until his stomach is nice and full." Colt laughed to hisself and looked back down at the dog. "Are you a little Tum Tum, D.K.?" The dog looked at him with hopeful eyes to the promise of more food.   
  
"Oh Jefferson don't give the dog pizza." Jamie said, seeing Colt slip the dog a piece of sausage. Colt, gave her a gorgeous smile saying. "But mom, dogs are people too."  
  
Jamie grinned and blushed a bit shaking her head. "Oh really then tell him he can pay his wn vet bills, and to get a job at the race tracks." She slipped out of her seat, walking over to the upper cabinets. Jamie found a can of 'Might Dog' and she started opening it for D.K. Sensing food the dog ran over to the woman licking his teeth waiting. Colt and John laughed at the sight. "I guess he doesn't love me anymore." Said Colt.  
  
John smiled plainly and gestured for Colt's attention. "So Jeff? You said there was a girl that you couldn't get over, who was she? What was her name?" Colt shrugged, grabbing another slice. "It's really a bad subject for me, I made a lot of mistakes and so did she. But somehow I can't say no to her." He downcast his eyes. "Even though I knew that us together was wrong I still said yes, I don't know it was a few years ago."  
  
"Hey," John was saying. "you don't have to talk about it, it's okay." Jamie had long since rejoined them and looked from Colt to Johnathan and shrugged. "So hey, me and some of the guys are going to a movie this weekend, you wanna join us? My treat?"  
  
"Yeah! That sounds great." Colt was glad for the invite and a ticket out of the house without dear old mom at his heals. "Let's not forget we're going to the mall this weekend for clothes." She informed, bursting the bubble of the freedom train. "Geez mom, don't smother him or he'll end up leaving on his own." Johnathan came back to his rescue.   
  
"Me and the guys can show him where the clothing departments are and he can get some himself." Jamie gave her eldest so a dirty look. "Yeah mom," Colt said to ice the cake. "I'll even model them for ya when I get home and return what ever you don't approve of."  
  
Jamie was thinking it over then she nodded. "Fine, you guys can go, just please be careful ok?"   
  
"Yes mom." They both said. Johnathan checked his watch widening his eyes at the time. "Shoot, I'm gonna be late." He pushed his seat out and stood up. "I gotta go mom, I'll be at Rob's house after school, his mom's making lasagna so don't wait up." He gave the woman a kiss on the cheek and tossled Colt's hair again.  
  
Colt fixed his hair back and said goodbye to his brother. Jamie looked at him and smiled. "You two seem to be getting along alright." She commented. "Hmm, yeah well. He kinda reminds me of someone." Knowing full well what he had meant, Jamie dropped the subject.  
  
Riiiiing!!! Riiiing!!!! "I'll get that, you finish up and put your dishes away, please." Jamie stood up and went in the living room to answer the phone. Colt finished his last slice of pizza and put his plate away, and stored the extra slices in the refrigerator.  
  
Walking into the hallway, Colt heard Jamie telling someone why she was at home. The person on the other end seemed to not care and it was making her frustrated with the situation. "Okay, okay. I'll come in today." She listened to the person on the other end and sighed. Colt walked over to the stairs and leaned against the banister waiting. "Assholes." Jamie spat when she hung up the phone.  
  
"You gotta go in for work." Colt said for her and she nodded looking as though she had been through a battle and was defeated. "That's ok, I'm not going anywhere, because I don't know my way around. And I can take care of a house I'm 21 years old." Colt affirmed. "You're 19 sweety, 19, and I know you'll take care of the house, but I still don't want you here alone." Said Jamie rubbing a hand over her eyes wearily.  
  
"I just wish there was some way I could take you with me...." She mused. Colt watched her wrack her brains for a second, before he spoke up. "Or," She turned and looked at him. "you could just let me stay here alone. I'll lock the door, I know self defense if that's not enough and for the sake of throwing it out there I'm a boy."  
  
Jamie smiled and grabbed her coat off the arm of the chair. "You're right, you win." Colt grinned and said. "Thank you."  
  
"But pleeease, lock this door right after I leave out of it, the back door is already locked. So you....do what ever it is teenaged boys do when their parents are gone, but make sure to do it away from the windows."  
  
Colt nodded walking over to her. "I will." He gave her a quick hug and started pushing her towards the front door laughing a little as he did so. "Now out ya go. Make that money or your fired." Regardless her own words, Jamie wanted to stay, she just didn't feel safe letting him go out alone. And now with John taking him to the mall with his friends. This was all beginning to be too much for her.  
  
Hugging him back, Jamie blew Colt a kiss before leaving. He caught it and pretended to hug it to him. A faint smile appeared on her face then she climbed into the blue Toyota and backed out of the driveway. D.K walked up beside Colt and started thumping his tail on the floor. "So D.K.," He began while closing the door and locking it as Jamie had instructed.   
  
"What do people do in this house when the old bats away?" The dog sighed and Colt pursed his lips wondering what to do. "I've got it follow me." 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight.  
  
Rocky pulled up at their front door but left the car running. "Stay here, I'm gonna get you an ice pack and I don't want mom seeing you." Rocky explained before leaving him alone. Tum tum instantly changed the radio station to something a little more hip than Bjorne Lynne. Korn blasted from inside the radio and he hummed the song that was playing.  
  
Rocky opened the front door and walked inside. "Mom?!" He called out. Looking around the living room with his vision, he didn't see his mother anywhere. "Mom?!" He called out again. 'Hunh, I wonder where she is?' He thought.  
  
Walking into the kitchen he saw the very person he was looking for down on her hands and knees scrubbing. "Mom?" He called to her. "Rocky don't step there," She said holding a hand out to stop his tracks into the kitchen. "I've been trying to clean this floor to get the glass up all morning, but nothing seems to be working." Jessica worried.  
  
Rocky made a face and nodded. Looking down at the floor he then looked to his mother. "I need something from the freezer." He asked her, since he couldn't enter the kitchen with or without shoes. "Sure baby, what is it?" Jessica stood and went over to the freezer ready to pull out a drink of some kind but he waved it away. "I need an ice pack." Rocky stated.  
  
Reaching into the freezer, Jessica pulled out a frozen iced pack and walked across the kitchen handing it to her son. "Wait a second what do you need an ice pack for? Are you hurt?" She asked.   
  
"Nah, it's for a friend, we were playing...." He searched for a word. "basket ball and he got his wrist twisted tossing it." He had to suck his breath back in at how lame that sounded but he couldn't tell her the truth. "Oh, well I hope he's okay. I can fix you boys lunch if you like tell him to come on in."   
  
Jessica turned away from Rocky going back into the kitchen to start the stove. "No," Rocky held a hand out to stop her. "It's fine we already ate. Thanks anyways." Turning away, Rocky called over his shoulder. "I gotta get going. I'll be back in time for dinner and don't worry about Tum Tum I'll pick him up from school."  
  
"Oh, alright. Thank you, Rocky." His mother called after him. When the front door closed she looked back down at the floor and sighed.  
  
Rocky opened the car door and climbed back inside. "Here, put this over your eye." He says tossing the ice pack into his younger brothers lap. "Thanks." Tum picked it up holding it over his eye. "Ah, it's cold." He whined. But Rocky shook his head with a smile. "It's supposed to be cold, otherwise it wouldn't work."   
  
The car backed out of driveway. Noticing they were leaving Tum tum looked at his brother with question. "Where're we going?" He asked. "The G.A.P, I'm gonna apply for a job there after that I don't know. Mom's acting really weird right now, I think it'd be better if she didn't know you were sent home from school." He explained.  
  
"Yeah." Tum thought aloud and sadly lowered his eyes to his lap. Rocky kept his attention on driving.  
  
* * *  
  
Later that day. Back in Arizona. Colt turned on his radio, turning to a station that played mostly classical music. D.K. and Manga were at the foot of the bed waiting for what he was going to do. "This song goes out to all the dog's out there." He laughed to hisself. Waiting to pick up on the tune, he gently started playing his accustic guitar as the background of what ever piece was playing.  
  
A smile began to show on his face that turned into a quaint grin. "This sounds like that friends forever song." He mentioned to no one in particular. He never heard the front door open from the music being so loud., he never heard the foot steps up the stairs and he never heard when the knob turned on the door before it cracked opened.  
  
"Jefferson?" A girls voice said. Colt jumped slightly from being startled, but he exspelled the feeling when he saw it was just his sister. "Oh, hey Anne. Schools out already." He said more than asked.   
  
"Yup, where's mom?" The girl asked walking into the room. "I thought she wanted to hear you play?"  
  
Colt put his guitar down on the floor in its case and turned to her with a sigh. "She uh, went to work." Annalisse blinked in shock. "Wow, that's new I thought for sure she'd skip work and cling to you all day." The girl stated standing up. "She tried to, believe me, but her job called and I convinced her to go."  
  
Anna nodded and walked to the door. "Well, I'm gonna go do my homework. I'll be in my room if you need me." Colt said a very low 'okay' and stood up from the bed to turn off the radio to give his sister some piece.   
  
Manga followed her obvious favorite owner out of the room and the door was closed after them. "Looks like it's just you and me again." He said to D.K. "Wanna see if they've got any snacks around here?" The dog rested lazily on the floor but swished it's tail back and forth to show he was listening.  
  
An inward laugh came from the dirty blonde and he walked out of the room saying to his lazy little friend. "Suit yourself, more food for me then." Travelling downstairs the door bell rang and Colt shouted over his shoulder. "I'll get it!" He trotted over to the front door and pulled the knob.   
  
"Hi." He said to read haired girl standing outside. The girls eyes nearly fell out of her head seeing the boy up close. He was gorgeous! "Uh, uh...." She stammered. "Anna's upstairs." Colt said casually, standing aside for her to come in. The gaping girl walked inside not taking her eyes away from the retreating figure. "Oh my god." She whispered lowly. Not noticing Anna beside her, she suddenly felt her jaw snapped shut.  
  
"Natasha, don't you know staring and drooling with your mouth hung opened is a turn off." She mentioned. "Whatever," Natasha stated feeling her weight leaning to one side as Anna tried to steer her upstairs. "Geez were you always this heavy." Anna strained to tug her friend up the stairs. "Go ask him something for me." Natasha said with plead in her voice.  
  
"Nooo! Why don't you, if you like him so much." Anna dropped her friends arm and stood beside her with her arms folded over her chest.  
  
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Colt can hear the two girls talking and he laughed to hisself. 'Girls are really weird.' He figured and opened a cabinet grabbing a bag of fun sized baked potato chips. Opening the bag he walked back into the hall eating a chip as he went.   
  
"Ssshhh here he comes." Natasha said feeling a blush explode onto her cheeks. "Want one?" Colt said to Anna but she shook her head and he held the bag to her friend. "Chip?" He asked. Natasha broke into a fit of laughter and took one from the bag. "Thanks." She said trying to calm her voice down.  
  
Colt smiled at her and she blush, if possible, deepend. Anna watched the display and rolled her eyes. Feeling Natasha nudge her on the shoulder, and she shot her friend a dirty glance and reamined quiet until she felt it again. With an angry sigh she said. "Fine. Jefferson, this is Natasha Pinkly from school." Turning to her friend. "Tasha this is my brother Jefferson."  
  
Colt took her hand shaking it. "Hi." He said. The girl shyly looked away and replied. "Nice to meet you." An umcomfortable silence fell over them, soon interupted by Jeremy walking through the door slamming Natasha into Colt. "Oh!" They both cried out backing away from each other. "I'm sorry." The girl stated.  
  
"No it's okay." Turning his attention to Jeremy who was tugging on his shirt sleeve. "Yeah Jerm'?" He asked.   
  
"Wanna help me with my homework?" The boy asked. "Sure kid, come on." Colt went into the kitchen waving to Natasha who waved back. When he was out of eye shot she grabbed Anna's shoulder and silently screamed into her friends clothes. "He is drop dead gorgeous! You are so lucky."  
  
Annalisse shook her head saying. "How am I lucky? He's my brother." Natasha shrugged saying. "Yeah, but you get to see him everyday." With an aggressive sound of dismiss Anna walked upstairs. "You're hopeless, Tasha. Hopeless."  
  
"So what if I am," she started up the stairs after her. "Hi John." She said when she saw the boy coming in the door behind her. John said 'hello' to her to and led his friends inside. "Let's get something to eat from the kitchen then we can head out." John was saying to his friends. The five of them followed the boy into the kitchen talking about something.   
  
One of them meantioning how cute Natasha was, but John brushed his thoughts of her off, by saying no dating his sisters friends. Another boy talking about his parents leaving for the weekend and they should get together and have a party or something, another of the boys saying he was hungry enough to eat a horse having the two other boys agree with him.  
  
"Here's the man of the hour." John was saying when he saw Colt sitting at the kitchen table with his little brother. "Hey squirt." He said tossling both boys hairs. "What's up little man." A mixed boy of black and white said to Jeremy. "Hey Ishmail." Jeremy said fixing his hair.  
  
"Guys this is my younger brother Jefferson." John introduced and they greeted him with a 'hello' and 'what's up.'  
  
Colt waved a hand. "Hey." He replied. "Jeff' this is Ishmail," He gestured to the mixed boy. "Eric," A boy who looked somewhat Asian but he could be wrong. "Manuelo," to a hispanic boy. "Peter and Joshua." He pointed to two other brunette cocasian males.   
  
"They're brothers." He mentioned. "Nice to meet you guys." Colt said. "Heey don't be so formal man." Peter said sitting down beside him. "This is totally freaky that you're here. We heard about everything that happened." John frowned hearing his friend and grabbed him by the shoulder yanking him up out of the chair replacing hisself on it. "That's enough DICK tracy."  
  
Peter shrugged. "I was just asking, I wasn't gonna say anything rude." He explained but John shook his head replying. "Uh huh."  
  
While his friends scanned the kitchen for something to take with them to eat when they went out. John asked over the noise. "What happened to mom, her boss tell her to come in or she's fired?" He laughed. Colt nodded saying. "I think it was somewhere along lines."  
  
Seeing Johns group heading to the door Colt followed them with his vision. "Where're you guys going?" He asked. "Shoot some hoops." Said Eric. "You wanna come?"  
  
Colt looked at Jeremy who waved him away. "Yeah sure." He stood up and walked out of the kitchen with them.   
  
"Jeremy," John called over his shoulder on their way out of the kitchen. "When mom gets in, tell her we're gonna go play basket ball with Jeff."   
  
"Alright." He said not taking his eyes from his work. When the door closed he took his ear phones out and looked around. "You say something John?" He called but heard nothing. "Hm." Replacing the ear phones back into his ears he nodded his head to the music playing humming the song outloud.  
  
Natasha was looking out the window watching the boys walk down the street bouncing a ball back and forth to each other. A lovely sigh came from her and Anna looked up with question. "What?" She asked.   
  
"Jefferson, isn't he cute. He has like the best nose I've ever seen." Natasha commented. "Now you're scaring me." Annalisse said.   
  
"What's so wrong with noticing somebody?" Asked Natasha, not really wanting an answer but from Anna she knew she was gonna get one anyway.   
  
"You're noticing his nose, don't you think that's a little pathetic?"   
  
This time it was Natasha who rolled her eyes. "Don't worry Annie, someday you'll be in love too then you'll see what I'm talking about."  
  
Throwing a pillow at her friends butt, Anna shook her head. "That's where you're wrong, I am not going to all in love, ever. So you can just forget it." Looking down at the homework infront of her she mumbled. "Get over here and help me with this."  
  
"Alright alright, I'm coming." The girl took one last glance out the window then walked over to the bed sitting down beside her best friend. "Not to mention his butt." She said out of nowhere. "Tasha!" Anna shouted popping her with a pillow and she laughed shielding herself. 


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine.  
  
"Hello Jeremy," His mother said walking into the kitching setting her purse down, along with some bags of grocceries. "Where's your brother?"  
  
Jeremy looked up from his game boy saying. "Which one?" His mother scowled at him and started to unload the bags. "Don't be cute. Now, Jefferson, where is he?" She asked again. "I bought some new stuff at the store I thought maybe he could pick out what he likes."  
  
'I thought he could pick out what he likes.' Jeremy mocked mentally. "I don't know, he left with John I think." The boy replied. Jamie dropped a bag of egg noodles and looked at her youngest son. "What do you mean you think?" She asked. "What happened after school?"  
  
"John came in and Jeff was helping me with my homework then he left." The boy shrugged. It didn't seem like such a big deal to him. "Oh my God." Jamie ran into the livingroom picking up the phone. "He could be lost out there, or hurt...." Dialing 911, she waited for the opperator to pick up before she spoke. "Yes this is Jamie McRea and my son is missing, can you please send a car out to find him? I think he may be lost."  
  
She listened to the other end. "Okay, thank you." Hanging up the phone, Mrs. McRea picked up a baby picture of Colt and held it to her. 'Please let him be ok.'  
  
...........................   
  
"Toss me the ball Jeff!" Ishmail shouted raising his arms over his head. Colt threw the ball to him and ran to the other side of the court if he needed any help. The handful of boys have been playing basket ball all afternoon and now it was night. The game was now going into over time.  
  
"Hey!" Shouted Manuelo, he was talking to Ishmail. "You travelled!" The mixed boy laughed and tossed the ball in the hoop. "Nice try Manny, you're always calling travel when someone gets the ball past your ass."  
  
Manuelo scoffed and crossed his arms. "I do not, that was just that one time." Ishmail made a face at Colt and he laughed. This is just what he needed to hang out with kids his own age and.... I don't know, play. "Okay," Said John grabbing the ball. "The score's tied with, 10 a side. This is the final shot of the game."  
  
Eric and Peter took the center and John tossed the ball up into the air. The two of them jumped and swatted at the ball with Peter getting it on their side. Joshua caught the ball and dribbled it down the court. "I got it!" Colt shouted and stole the ball when the brunette went by.   
  
"Hey?" He shouted in amusement that someone could steal the ball from him. A rare occation that few could accomplish. Colt took the ball down the court and tossed it when he was at the three point marking, two of the guys on Peters team were right at the hoop to knoc it out, but the ball hit the back board and went over Colt's head to John who ran up to the hoop making the goal.  
  
"Yeah!" Colt cheered. The group of boys shook hands to the good game.   
  
"This could be the start of something big, the McRea brothers undefeated since.... What day is it?" John asked.   
  
Everyone swatted him in the back of that head and waved him off. "Look at him gloating over one victory," Laughed Eric. "We'll get you guys next time."  
  
John shook his head talking over everyone elses chatter. "Yeah yeah, you all wish." Throwing an arm around Colt's shoulders, "Come on." his brother said, walking them towards the entry way of the gate to leave.  
  
All the other guys waved goodbye to them as they went down the street to their homes. "We'll see you at school tomorrow, right Jeff?" Shouted Josh.   
  
"I think so!" Shouted Colt. "They still don't have my records, so I might not be able to go yet!"   
  
"We'll stop by after then! Bye!" They waved.  
  
John and Colt waved and continued home. "It's about time you stopped being so shy," His brother was saying. "I think the guys really like you."  
  
Colt smiled to himself. It was good to know because he really liked all of them too. "You wanna sneak off and get some burgers or something?" Asked John. "Yeah sure." The two of them veared in another direction to get something to eat. Luckily in Arizona everything is walking distance.  
  
A cop car pulled up beside the curb and flashed its headlights in the boys faces. Colt and John shielded their eyes with their forearms until the officer turned off the lights. Stepping out of the car he looked over the roof at the two of them. "You Jefferson McRea?" He asked.  
  
Colt looked shocked and confused, last time he checked he hadn't done anything wrong. "Yes sir." He replied. The cop gestured him over with his fingers and the two boys walked over to his car. "Yes?" Asked Colt.   
  
"Get in, your mother has been looking for you." The officer said getting back into the car. "She thought you might be lost so she sent an officer out to escort you home."  
  
"Whaat?" Said Colt in disbelief.  
  
John sighed, sounding a little irritated. "Mom."  
  
"In." The cop said. Colt let out an irritated sigh himself and climbed into the backseat of the car. John joined him and the two of them were driven home.  
  
* * *  
  
"I cannot believe you sent a cop car out there to get him," John was saying to his mother when the two of them got home. Jamie seemed annoyed that her eldest son didn't understand her actions and was speaking to her so rudely. "Didn't Jeremy tell you he was with me?"  
  
"Jeremy may have mentioned it, but that is beside the point." She raised her finger to her sons face. "And don't you take that tone of voice with me Johnathan, I'm still you're mother and the head of this household."  
  
John nodded and praised her sarcastically. "Oh yeah, and you never let anyone forget it either. I thought we were supposed to make Jeff comfortable here?" Jamie turned her nose up at him. She no longer wanted to listen to any of this. "All you seem to be doing is keeping him under your wing just like you did to all of us when he was gone."  
  
Colt hung his head listening to the two of them argue. He didn't want this family to start fighting over him, he barely felt like he was part of it. They shouldn't fight over him. "All I'm saying is learn to leave me a note when you're going out. That's all I ask." Jamie said in what sounded like defeat.  
  
Colt turned away and walked upstairs. He'd be done for dinner, right now he needed to vent his feelings to the only person he could call since the number to his house was blocked off from him. When Colt made it to the safety of his room, he closed the door and pulled out his cell phone. Just as he started to dail 'Lissa's number there was a knock on the door.  
  
Colt shoved it under his pillow without having dialed the last number and he said in a calm tone. "Come in." The door cracked open and a head peeked in. "Can I come in?" Anna said, fully opening the door. "Sure." Colt scooted over on the bed and she sat down beside him.  
  
There was silence a minute then Annalise raised Colt's pillow pulling out his phone. "Who were you calling?" She asked. Colt was almost afraid to lie, didn't twins have some kind of phschic connection or something?  
  
"Eric. He told me to call him if I ever wanted to talk." Colt lied. Anna nodded and looked at the number. "Mom's not gonna let you go out alone anymore, you do know that right? You screw up once and she'll always be there."  
  
"Greeeat." Colt said taking his phone back from the girl and stuffed it under his pillow. "Isn't there any way to make her trust me? I'm not gonna run off or anything." His eyes pleaded with the girl and twisted her mouth up thinking about it, only to shake her head. "None that I can think of." She said and stood up.  
  
"I think it would be better for you to just lay low for a while, when she cools off talk to her." Anna shrugged as though saying, 'it couldn't hurt.' then she left his room.   
  
"I'll get her over it alright." Colt muttered. He reached under his pillow grabbing his phone again and he redailed Neilissa's number. She picked it up after two rings. "Hello?" Colt smiled hearing her voice.  
  
"Hi Liss', how are you?" He asked. Outside of his room Annalisse was listening to the door and heard what Colt said. She wondered a moment who this Lissa was that he kept calling, then she went downstairs to set the table.  
  
"Never mind me, how are you? Are they treating you ok there?" She asked in her usual mellow tone.   
  
"I don't know, it's like the second I actually start feeling comfortable around here they take the uncomfortable part up another knotch." Colt explained. "Tonight she called the cops on me because she thought I was lost, all I was doing was hanging out with John and his friends." He shrugged. "That's all, we were gonna come back but she went all schitzo on me and had me brought back home."  
  
Lissa sounded as though she were thinking about something then she said. "It sounds like she's taking the concern parenting thing a little overboard." Colt downcast his eyes shaking his head. "She is." He replied.  
  
It was silent a moment then Neilissa came back on saying. "I didn't wanna say anything, because I wanted it to be a surprise but, I'm coming to Arizona next week to bring you your school records."  
  
That brightened Colt's day ten full and he grinned from ear to ear. "You're kidding? That's great!" He said, already imagining what the two of them could do together. "You can't let on though that you know me. I don't wanna get you in trouble, I'll be bringing by a letter from your mother and brothers as well." Colt couldn't believe it, this was like some kind of, dare he think it, romance novel back in the old war days.  
  
"I don't wanna seem suspicious." Lissa went on explaining. "Right, I won't let on." colt assured. "I can't wait to see you though."  
  
"Me either. Everyone here really misses you, even the people in class." Colt smiled knowing that. "I miss them two, especially you and my brothers and Mom and Dad." Colt heard a knock on the door and lowered his voice. "I have to go, I can't wait to see you."  
  
Neilissa blushed and replied. "I can't wait to see you either, goodbye Colt."  
  
"Bye." He hung up when she had then he got off his bed and went to the door. "Yeah?" He said when he opened it. It was his mother, she looked down at the floor and said. "Dinner's on the table, I hope you like it."  
  
Colt nodded saying. "I'm sure I will." Silence. Jamie looked up at him and he gave her a hug. "Don't feel bad okay, I understand why you did what you did.... I just hope that you learn to trust me more, I really can take care of myself mom." Colt explained.  
  
"I'm glad to hear that, I'll.... I'll learn to trust you more, just tell me where you're going next time." She asked.   
  
Colt nodded and assured her with an. "I will."  
  
Smiling, Jamie rubbed Colt's shoulder and steered him downstairs. She didn't question why her son was so suddenly happy she was just glad that he was. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Author'sNotes: Sorry for the length it took to update but like I said my computer crashed and put me way behind but it's back now and I hope to ressume my normal speed as soon as things get back to normal. Thanks for sticking with it, I appreciate that. Lighter.  
  
.............................  
  
Chapter Ten.  
  
It is now the weekend. Colt was having breakfast by himself because he had woken up at his usual time of, wrong, in the McRea's household. But, being the weekend Colt was used to eating late, the rest of the family had eaten together earlier around seven.  
  
"I can't believe you're still eating breakfast, honey." Jamie said entering the kitchen. "Everyone else is already out enjoying the sunshine." She gestured out the window. Jeremy was in the backyard playing with D.K and Manga, Anna was getting ready to leave with her friends for when they come by to get her so they could all go roller bladding together.  
  
John had gone outside with his father to fix the family van that is sitting in the garage, until his friends came by to head out the mall with him and Colt. Leaving him inside, alone, with his mother. Colt lowered his eyes to his cereal, he missed the hot meal earlier, and continued eating without a word.  
  
Jamie watched her son a moment then she turned to the cabinet grabbing a mug to pour herself another cup of coffee. Sitting down, she drank it quietly until Colt finally looked up and asked. "Can I help you?"   
  
Jamie looked startled and shook her head. "No, no it's nothing. It's just that...." She shrugged. "I never noticed before that you're hair was so long, have you ever thought about cutting it?" Colt laughed as though it were pushed out of his chest and he shook his head. "No, I'm not gonna cut my hair. I really like it long." Standing, he put his bowl into the sink and washed it, before placing it into the dishwasher.  
  
"Hm, I wasn't implying anything, I was just wondering that's all." Colt patted the woman on the shoulder and headed out of the kitchen saying over his shoulder. "I'm gonna get dressed, will you let me know when John comes in?"  
  
"Sure sweetie." Jamie sighed when he was out of her sight. 'What am I gonna do with that boy, he's nothing like I remember him.... He's so different, so much of a-...' She cut her words off and stood herself leaving her mug on the counter.   
  
Watching Jeremy from the window, a smile appeared on her face. The front door opened and John and his father walked in talking to each other. "I'm pretty sure it'll work sometime this year," Said John, watching out for Colt who arrived at the stairs the same time as he did. "Hey bro, I've gotta freshen up a minute the guys should be here pretty soon." He walked past Colt who was slowly making his way upstairs.  
  
In the kitchen. Jamie opened the window and called to her youngest son. "Yeah mom?" The boy ran up to the window so he wouldn't have to shout. "Honey, how long have you had that outfit?" His mother asked. Jeremy looked down and shrugged.   
  
"I don't know. Maybe about a year." He replied.  
  
"How 'bout you come with your mom to get some new clothes. We can stop for lunch at the food court." Jeremy's face lit up with a smile and he jumped up and down. "Yeah!" Whistling for D.K. and Manga, the little boy opened the screen to the back door and came inside. "When are we going?" He asked.  
  
"Go change and we'll get going in an hour or so." Jamie heard Johns friends at the door laughing and joking with Colt and she smiled to herself hearing his happy tone.   
  
"You kidding me, Sheila has a nice wrack." Peter was saying.  
  
"Yeah right," Retorted Colt playfully. "I have to see this Sheila because all of my ex's had nice wracks ya know what I mean?" He gestured the size with his hands bouncing up and down in front of his chest.  
  
John laughed to his self, shaking his head in exasperation. "You guys are sick, you know that."  
  
"Oh we forgot," Ishmial chimed in, placing an arm around Johns shoulders. "John here is a Joan." The group laughed half heartedly and piled out of the door with John popping his friend in the head saying. "Those who say it display it, Ish'."   
  
Jamie watched from the window as the boys climbed into the car. Anna came up behind her mother watching the woman, folding her arms up to her chest she said in a casual tone. "I hope you're not planning anything juvenile mother."  
  
Startled, Jamie turned around with her hand over her heart. "Annie don't do that, don't you know it's rude to scare people?" She moved away from the window walking across the room. Annelise threw her hands up in the air commenting.  
  
"Well, you're scaring Jeffrey so I thought this would be a nice switch." Her mother grabbed the girls jaw muttering. "Don't get cute, and watch where you skate alright?" Letting go of the girls face, Jamie went to the stairs to get a hair brush from her bedroom. "Don't leave the neighborhood."   
  
"I woooon't." Anna sat herself down on the couch crossing her arms and legs. 'God will they hurry up and get me out of here.' A loud thumping sounded down the stairs, turning her head she saw her little brother make another of his crash landings to the floor.  
  
"Quit running down the stairs twerp, and come here a second." Said Anna waving him over.  
  
The boy did as his sister asked, getting up to her saying. "I'm not hurt you know."   
  
"I know that's not what I wanted to say," Grabbing his shoulders she pulled the boy in close so no one would hear her. "Now mom's taking you to the mall with her today right?" The boy nodded. "Well Jeffrey's gonna be there too so-..."  
  
"Oh cool, Jeff's the best!" Jeremy cheered.  
  
"Ssshh, ssshhh! Listen, listen..." She glances at the stairs. "Mom is only taking you to the mall so she can spy on Jeff, so if you see him turn yourself in another direction- I don't care which way just make sure she doesn't wreck things with John and his friends."  
  
The young boy thought about it then nodded. "Okay."  
  
"You promise?" She patted his shoulder. Nodding, Jeremy freed his self from her grip and trotted to the hall closet for his sneakers. "Good boy."  
  
The door bell rang, alerting Anna who stood up and walked to the door to open it. "Hiiii." Natasha came in with a huge cheese eating grin. Anna placed a hand on her hips and returned the smile saying through the teeth of it. "Heee's not heeere."  
  
The girls smile soon faded and she twisted her mouth up. "Oh, so where is he?" She asked stepping inside the house so she wasn't holding up the other girls entry. "I hope nowhere too far." Anna silently greeted her four friends as they came inside.  
  
"You know what Tash', he took a bullet train to Mars just to-...." She paused watching her brother squeeze between her and her friends to get out of the house. "What it weasel!" She called after him then finished her original sentence. "...avoid you."  
  
Crossing her arms Natasha leaned into her friends face. "Ha ha. I get it." Waves a hand to the other girls. "Can we go now."  
  
"What a shame," An, accented, hispanic girl was saying while turning her mouth up. "I wanted to see him, ya know."  
  
Annelisse groaned hearing her friend talk. "Not you too, Pipe'... I thought if anyone you'd have more control." They began to exit the house checking their equipment as they did so.  
  
"Whaaat? A girl must know the hotty status of their best friends brother. It is in their blood." Piper replied. The five girls skated down the sidewalk and down the street breaking into their usual conversations as they did so.  
  
Jeremy watched his sister and her friends skate away then turning his attention back to getting inside the car, he reached through the window to the back of the cars lock and pulled it up. Grabbing the handle he then pulled the car door open. "Ah!" He shouted when the alarm went off. He hated when his mother put the stupid thing on.  
  
Coming out of the house stuffing things inside her purse. Jamie looked up at her son and sighed. "Jeremy, how many times have I told you not to unlock the door from the window." She scolded pressing the dis-arm button.  
  
The boy apologized while tugging the back door opened then climbing in. Jamie checked for something in her purse then climbed inside the car as well. 'Don't worry Jefferson, mamma's coming.' She assured her son.  
  
Starting the car, Mrs. McRea checked the rear then back out of the drive way and sped down the street. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

__

Chapter _E_leven.

Shockingly, considering how small the town was the shopping mall in Arizona was rather big. Almost bigger than the one L.A., almost though, because there were no stores larger than the ones that reside in Los Angeles and New York.

Colt, his brother and their friends arrived after a half hour drive- which when you're with good company- hardly seems that long of a drive. The seven boys walked down the crowded parking lot towards the mall talking of this and that, checking their money to make sure they had enough for whatever little items they planned on getting while they were out there.

Colt stuffed his hands into his pockets closing his eyes taking in a deep breath of air. He smiled feeling the breeze combing it's way through his dirty blonde ocean of hair. Colt remembered once long ago an ex-girlfriend had told him that she too was like a bird that just wanted to fly away.

A frown borrowed his happy expression, changing it to a more sorrowful look. 'Yeah, now look where she is, a mental home... Where she really thinks she's flying.' Colts eyes shot opened averting left where someone had placed a hand on his shoulder. It was John.

"You in there?" His real brother asked.

Colt shook his head from the memories and smiled. "Yeah, I was just thinking about something, that's all."

John smiled sincerely, knowing all and too well what kind of thinking Colt was doing. Because there was a time in life when he had been weighed by those very same thoughts as well. Shaking his brothers shoulders, John smiled down at Colt saying. "Hey, today we're here to have fun. Let's just leave all that stuff in the closet for now. Okay bro?"

Colt smiled that charismatic smile of his and nodded. "Yeah... besides I've gotta find a new attire to match the odd fashion you natives wear." Colt grinned playfully seeing the look on his brothers face. "Aahahahaha." He took off running hearing John run after him.

"Hahaha," His brother laughed. "I'll show you odd attire city boy!" He called after him.

......................

Back in California. Jessica is just getting off the phone with someone, when she sees her son walking downstairs from the view at the kitchen sink. "There he is right now, thank you for calling. Bye." She hung up the phone and drew in a breath as Tum Tum approached the kitchen.

"Hey mom, is breakfast ready?" The boy asked, looking as though he were still tired but would wake up at any hour to eat breakfast. Jessica gestured a hand to the phone and sighed. Her head bobbed down then straightened to look at her son. "Michael Andrew Douglas,"

"Uh oh, middle name." Tum was saying taking a seat then reached for the cereal. "Whatever happened I didn't do it." He stated in his favor.

"That was Mrs. Whitelaw, she said her son came home with a black eye from when you punched him at school. Is that true?"

"Weeellll...." Tum tum's face twisted in thought, trying to think up a good excuse for fighting. "I-..."

"And don't even think about lying for a second because I'll know." Jessica crossed her arms giving her youngest son a glare that dared him to go on with his lie.

"Uuuumm, okay." Tum caved in like a fallen cake. "I was fighting but- but I had a good reason to do it." He trailed off quietly hoping he didn't have to say anymore. He admitted to his crime shouldn't that be enough?

"Well...." Said his mother taking a seat at the table as well.

Tum smiles sweetly, hoping not to push the subject but his mother was unwavering. "Well what?" He asked cheekily.

"Tum tum don't get smart with me," Jessica's hands went to her forehead as though she felt a sudden headache brewing. "why were you fighting?"

"Because that _stupid jerk_ Sheven was insulting our family, that's why!" He hadn't meant to shout but his words had come out louder than he'd wanted them to.

Jessica exhaled her breath pressing her hands down on the table to help her to her feet. "Tum tum I would appreciate it next time if you'd just use your words." Her hands mussed up her sons hair then she departed the kitchen.

Tum tum watched her leave and sighed. His head sank between his shoulders and he suddenly felt his appetite- as unbelievable as it was even to him- slipping away. 'Now mom's gonna be sad, I know she is....' The boys fingers fiddled with the place mat on the table in front of him.

'With Rocky back at college and me here alone, it's up to me to keep mom happy while Colt is gone.' A sad expression marred the usually happy boys face. 'Ha.... listen to me talking like he's on vacation or something...' His eyes scrunched in anger and he felt his hand come up smack the cereal box off the table. 'Why can't he just stay here with us!? Why did he have to leave... he was my best friend...!'

Tum tum felt an uncomfortable wrench in his heart; this whole thing wasn't fair. He didn't care if the McRea's were unhappy, they've been unhappy for years! Couldn't they just accept the fact that Colt was fine and well with someone else and leave the matter alone? He's 21 for crying out loud! "Rrrrr." He growled lowly stooping down from the table and he began to scoop up the spilled cereal.

'I hope he's happy though, at least someone should get happiness out of it.' Tum tum gasped seeing another set of hands scooping up the cereal with him. They were delicate feminine hands, they were his mothers. He looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

Jessica reached out for her son pulling him into a hug. "I'm sure he misses us baby," She planted a kiss on the top of his head and rubbed his arms. "And who knows, maybe someday we'll see your brother again."

Tum tum really didn't think so, but if his mother had hope in her heart as under as she had appeared to everyone, who knows maybe he would see him again.

Later that morning. "This place is pretty big," Colt complimented as they walked around the complex a little more. "Where're we gonna head first?" He looked to his friends who all seemed to have no plan of buying anything, they mostly were just there to cruise the mall chicks.

"How 'bout women's undies.." Said Ishmail receiving looks from each of his friends. "What? Womeeeen maan.... they flock for underwear, and they're looking for guys like us to come and inspect them-- you know," He jutted his elbow into Colt's side. "Make 'em feel sexy."

Colt nodded sarcastically. "Oh yeah, they love it." He joked. "And it's even better because I've always wanted to remember the sting of a slap hard enough to break skin."

John and the others began to laugh but Ishmail merely shrugged and found his way into the shop. Colt shrugged and turned to his right. "I warned him." And about thirty seconds after Ishmail had entered the shop, they all heard a loud slapping sound from a hand making contact with someone's cheek.

Their friend came flying from the shop with a huge goofy grin plastered to his face, and a large red mark on his cheek. Ishmail hunched over catching his breath before he straightened up saying with a pointed finger at his cheek. "Well worth it."

The seven boys laughed letting it die down as they continued through the mall. Colt could see why they were so set on meeting girls. Arizona actually had a lot of cuties ones running around, and they seemed to be particularly at the mall today.

Three girls waved at them as they passed by on the way to which ever shop they were headed to. Manuelo and Eric turned on their heals following the three waving girls to where they were going and they lost Ishmail ages ago on the second floor. Leaving just Colt and John, Peter and Josh walking in a box set through the Arizona mall.

"Mom wanted me to get sneakers first and buy clothes with whatever I have left." Colt explained as he headed for the men's foot locker in the distance. Peter glanced down at his own sneakers wondering if it were time for him to buy a new pair as well. Nah, they were fine.

John swayed to the side seeing a girl up ahead. It was someone he knew from school so he decided to go talk to her. "I'll catch up with you guys later okay."

"See ya, John." Colt waved a hand then wandered into the shoe store. The three boys went straight for the section with their shoes sizes and browsed the styles and colors. 'Hm. Nothing really brand named here.' Colt noticed, picking up a pair he's wanted to get for a while. The price was a lot lower than in L.A. so he decided to get them and be done with it.

'Better make sure they fit first.' Glancing around with his eyes he located a bench and walked over to sitting down. Slipping his foot out of his sneaker he tried on the new pair. They fit like a glove but you never know until they're laced up and you're walking in them.

Peter took a seat beside Colt holding a pair of sneakers as well. "Good choice," He complimented. Glancing further back into the boy looked for his brother. Colt followed his eyes and saw the Josh with one of the salesman talking and laughing. It seemed rude but he had to know.

"So Peter... you're brother, right?" Colt began.

"Yeah?" The boy turned his gaze on him.

"Is heeee...." He inquired, waving a hand out in the air, flat out rocking back and forth.

Peter knew what he was getting at but he just shrugged. "I have no idea. Does that bother you though?" He didn't really care for the answer, it was just something he had to say.

"Mm, well yeah." Colt replied honestly. "It sorta does... But not so much that I'd hound him for it."

Peter cocked an eyebrow and shrugged. "Good. But I assure you, my brother doesn't swing that way."

"Okay, okay." Colt held up a hand in defense. "I'm sorry I said anything."

Joshua came back up to them, holding a box in his hands. "We ready to go?" He asked looking at their guarded faces. "What's with you two?" He kicked his brothers foot telling him to scoot over and make room for him. Peter popped up a second then came back down a little further apart from the bench.

"I think I'll get these ones." Colt muttered to himself standing up. Josh watched Colt with a raised eyebrow asking. "What's with him?"

"Who cares, I'm gonna find John." Standing Peter left the store in a hurry. Josh shrugged it off and waited for Colt to finish paying for his purchase. When the dirty blonde returned to where they had been seated he noticed that Peter was gone.

"Where'd your brother go?" He asked, hoping that Peter wasn't pissed at him. What was the harm in asking a question? All he had to say was yes or no.

"Don't know, something about finding John." Josh stood waving a hand. "Where to now?" The other twin asked.

"I have to get clothes, than we can go." The two of them walked out of the store unaware of what had been going on while they were still inside.

"Move it!" A guy shouted shoving his hand into Colt's chest.

"What the fuck?" He muttered.

"Heeelp!" A girl cried out, she sounded as though she had been shouting for a while.

"He's got my purse!" The girl pointed to a man that was rushing through the crowd of people, who were doing nothing to stop him. Not even so much as tripping the guy.

Colt watched the mans trail and pressed the box of sneakers into Joshua's chest. "Hold this." He commanded.

"Wait, what are you gonna do?"

Colt said nothing as he dashed after the guy. The mans cheeks were puffing and his chest was strained as he ran as fast as he could through the shopping mall. Colt wasn't too fair behind using his great speed to his advantage.

Somewhere in the mall, Jamie and Jeremy walk in. The young boys mother is looking from left to right for any trace of her son. Jeremy rolls his eyes, casting his vision to the second floor. 'Hey there's Jeff!' He smiled. Remembering what his sister said the boy pointed his finger in the opposite direction saying, "Hey look, there's Jeff and John."

The woman craned her neck asking, "Where?"

"Over there." He continued to point. "Come on let's go say, hi." He grabbed his mothers hand and ran off in the other direction of what ever it was his brother was doing.

Back on the second level. Colt saw a bench up ahead, and as he dashed by he hopped up onto it then lunged himself on top of the purse snatcher knocking the man to the floor. The purse slipped out of his hands, gliding across the floor. John stooped down and picked it up, keeping an eye on his brother incase he needed help.

The purse snatcher kicked Colt off of his back, rolled over onto his back then stood up. Colt got to his feet as well, breaking into his ninja stance. The two of them glared at each other a moment as if they were in a staring contest and the first one to move would surely beat the other person to a pulp.

The purse snatcher, laughed when he noticed the way Colt was standing, and like most people who haven't got a clue the man extended his arms into the air raising his right leg as though he were a crane.

Colt smirked, shaking his head. 'The _ooold_ Karate Kid, insult.' He laughed slightly, saying. "Alright, but you asked for it." Colt charged at the man and the purse snatcher readied himself for the kick that he prayed would work. Hey it was on tv, right?

Just as Colt reached the man- like on tv- he jumped, kicking the leg that was on the floor holding his balance outward at Colt, who merely dodged it as he grabbed the leg that was still suspended in mid-air during the kick, waiting to land.

Then, going under the mans body, he held his grip on the leg bringing it with him as he ended up behind the man, who is know holding his groin while his legs were split apart leaving him on the floor howling in pain.

"I've seen it pal try to be more original and maybe I won't make it hurt so much." Colt laughed.

The small crowd that was beginning to form began to laugh at the mans attempts but their words were silenced when the purse snatcher pulled himself off the floor whipping a knife from his pocket. Colt's smile only broadened as he said, "That's better." He returned to his battle stance strengthening his leg position.

John had seen enough, an unarmed man- sure, but there was no way his brother stood a chance against a weapon. Making his way through the crowd, the concerned brother stood behind Colt whispering into his ear. "Jeff' you don't have to do this, I'll get a cop." He put a hand on his shoulder. "It's too dangerous."

"It's alright John," Colt replied, never taking his gaze from the man. "you just stand back and watch the master."

This time it was the purse snatcher who made the first move, as he rushed the distance towards Colt, who stood their waiting for the attacker. Just as the man thrust the knife at him, Colt swung hid leg out kicking the man in the stomach causing him to bend over, he then grabbed the arm holding the knife in both of his hands.

John tensed watching the picture unfold, he though for sure Colt would be injured but what he saw next nearly made his eyes jump out of his head. Colt rolled over the attackers back, while still holding the mans arm and when Colt's feet hit the floor he flung the man over his shoulder sending him against the wall of a store. "Uuugh!" He grunted in pain as he passed out.

"Yay!" The crowd cheered clapping their hands together. Colt smiled and waved a thank you to them, but not too much of a thank you. He didn't wanna forget the sign of the flowers now did he. But still, the tiny cheers were nice. "That was awesome!" John said.

"That was nothing," Colt's body jumped slightly feeling arms come around his shoulders as someone picked him up. John seemed to be laughing so it couldn't have been anyone bad.

"Our little karate kid." Said Ishmail, letting Colt know who it was. After putting his friend down the group of people parted letting a woman come through, she was escorting an officer with her pointing at the man against the wall.

"That's the guy officer, right there." She said.

While the cop arrested the purse thief, the woman sought out Colt, throwing her arms around him for a hug. "Thank you, young man. I don't know how to repay you."

"Aaaw," Colt blushed. "it was nothing I just....." He moved out of the hug, his gaze went through the crowd falling on his mother. Her mouth was agape and her eyes were huge in her head as she stared bewildered.

'Uh oh.' He thought, feeling the pride of victory sink into him.


	12. Chapter Twelve

A.N: I really am sorry this is taking me so long to finish. I'll try extra hard to update but right now we're getting ready to move so, enjoy this as the last one for now. And see you all.

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Chapter 12.

Colt stood there as though he were paralyzed. He didn't know what to say or do. Accepting that, he did what any normal human being would have done.... He turned on his heals and ran!

"Jefferson!" Jamie called after him.

"Excuse me..." Colt was saying as he parted through the crowd of people. "Watch out."

John walked over to his mother, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Mom, don't freak out about this."

His mother moved her shoulder away, giving her son a cold glare. Jamie said nothing then, as she walked away from the crowd of people. She has seen enough.

"_Man_." John looked after her, seeing his little brother shrugging at him. He gave Jeremy a sympathetic look before he turned away to follow after his brother on the run.

Colt had bolted as fast as his legs could go, and being Colt, that was pretty fast until he reached a department store. Dashing inside he hid behind a pile of clothes peeking out from between them. "Hope I lost her," He was saying to himself.

"Lost who?" A woman said.

Startled, Colt straightened up, popping his head on the bar that held the clothing up. "Aheh heh." He laughed nervously, taking notice to the store that it was he had dashed in. _The women's lingerie_. And seeing that his hand was still placed upon a bra set, he turned bright red, quickly snapping his hands free. "Ahahaha. Oops."

The woman closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm curious," She took in a breath. "do young boys just want their arms ripped off? Or is it just out of pure _dare _that they come in here?"

"Uuum, I'm uuuh..." He turned his eyes out of the store, seeing a girl walking by. She was with a pile of friends and one of them was Anna! "I'm getting something for my girlfriend!" He said to save himself. "And there she is," Colt pointed out of the door. "Better not let her catch me in here, see ya."

Colt hurried out of the store, linking arms with Tasha when he got up to her. "Pretend you're my girlfriend okay?" He waved back to the woman in the store.

Natasha's mouth couldn't have dropped any lower to the ground hearing her secret- well- not so secret crush saying those words to her. "O- okay." She breathed out in a smile.

Annalise rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief and disgust at her friends behavior. 'Why do girls do these things?' She wondered.

"Anna', this is your brother?" Piper was saying.

"Jeff, hi." Said Colt reaching out a hand to her.

"My name is Piper Rodriguez. Nice to meet you." The Hispanic girl blushed.

Another girl with dark black hair held out her hand to take his next. "My name is Fumiko Cho."

Colt smiled saying, "Hi."

Anna sighed loudly, pointing as she spoke. "That's Libby, and that's Naomi. I wish I knew all the names of the girls at the mall today but as popular as you are, you're probably gonna be the one introducing them to me."

Colt smiled impishly. "Hey you never know."

Annalise's group of friends laughed, but his sister just rolled her eyes.

"So what's this about Nati' being your girlfriend?" Piper asked.

Colt waved a hand. "I was just saying that so the woman in that store wouldn't think I was weird."

Anna blinked hearing that then turned to her brother. "Mom saw you didn't she?"

Colt lowered his eyes to the floor. "...Yeah, and I wasn't exactly being a model son in her opinion."

"What were you doing?"

"Well.... this guy stole some ladies purse. So I got it back for her." He shrugged. "No big deal, but she looked like she was about to have a heart attack, so I ran."

"Yikes...." Anna reached out and placed a hand on her brothers shoulder. "Well, I'll see if I can talk to her when we get home. Maybe she'll listen to me."

"I hope so." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "....So, what are you guys doing here? I thought you went skating?"

Piper chirped up saying, "We did, but Anna here thought that Jeremy might need help keeping you're mother away from you." She shrugged a noisy arm, that was covered in bracelets. "And here we are."

Colt smiled at his sister. "Thanks."

"Hey Jeff." John caught up to his brother. "I think we should get the rest of your stuff and get home. Mom had that look in her eyes and I haven't seen that one in a long time. So come on."

"Alright..." Turning to Anna and her friends. "...- you guys coming too?"

"No, we need new nail polishes." Said Natasha. Getting right up into Colt's face, the red head batted her eyes. "Any color you like in particular?"

"Uuuhhh???" Colt leaned back on his heal to give the two of them some distance.

"He likes _clear,_ as in, move out of his face Tasha!" Anna grabbed her friends shirt, yanking her away from Colt. "Let's get a move on, see you guys at home." She said as the six girls walked away.

"What a weird girl." Colt was saying to his brother.

John merely laughed and placed an arm around his brothers shoulders. "That's just one of the insane girls of Arizona. Wait until you go to school."

"Huh, all the girls'll want me and all the boys will hate me..." He thought. "It's just like being back in L.A."

John laughed hearing that. He could understand the situation, he was that same way when he was young. But right now, the pleasantries would have to wait. Because when they get home, he knew that the nightmare would begin.

"I brought Jefferson's school records over for you." Neilissa said, holding a vanilla folder out to Colt's father Ben.

The young woman had come over just as she said she would, bringing with her notes from the Douglas family as well as Colt's academic records. So the family wouldn't get suspicious.

The man was blushing bright red when their fingers touched. "Uh, thanks." Gesturing with a hand for her to take a seat, the two of them walked over to the couch, sitting down. "So," Ben cleared his voice. "My son, was he a good student."

"Ahaha. How do you mean?" Lissa danced around the answer.

The man opened the folder looking down. "....I see."

Neilissa laughed, shaking her head. "He tried, believe me." A shrug. "But heee was very pre-occupied with other activities."

"You mean sports?"

"Well, playing at clubs and things with his band."

Ben smiled into a laugh. "He does seem taken with music. I heard him playing some nights ago."

Nodding, Lissa mentioned. "He is a brilliant player, he knows classical piano as well."

"Oh how nice," The man assured. "Ha. If you were my teacher _you'd_ be my main distraction."

"....Yes well. Isn't that-... charming." She stood. "Is Jefferson at home?"

"Not yet, he went to the mall with his brother and his friends."

Neilissa was becoming uneasy now, was this guy coming on to her. "And Mrs. McRea?"

"She's out as well." Ben stood as well.

"Then I must be going," she headed for the door.

"I wonder if we beat mom home?" Colt was saying as he walked in.

"Colt..." Lissa said, coming face to face with her friends and student.

A slow smile came across Colt's mouth. "Lissa?"

John looked confused asking. "Do you two know each other?"

"She's my instructor at the college." Colt replied. "What are you doing here?" He asked guiding her up stairs.

"I came to drop off your records."

John listened to the two exchange words until they were out of ear shot, then he walked into the living room. His father stood staring after the two of them, his eyes half lidded, mouth hung slightly opened. "Dad... I wouldn't get any ideas if I were you. She's half your age and besides, didn't you learn your lesson from the last time?"

His father blinked and waved a hand. "No son, I wasn't staring." He walked back over to the couch. "Where's your mother?"

"At the mall I guess, she's really mad though." John explained. "She saw Colt beat up this purse snatcher- it was awesome."

"He beat up a purse snatcher?" His father couldn't believe his ears.

"The guy had a knife and everything... Aw man, I'm never getting on his bad side." John walked into the kitchen for a drink.

"My son. Ha. amazing."

Upstairs. Colt closed his door, locking it after them and he steered Neilissa over to his bed to sit. "This is.... the best! I'm really glad you're here." He hugged her tightly.

Lissa smiled, hugging him back. "It's really good to see you Colt."

He moved away. "Hey, it's really good to be called, Colt." He laughed.

The two of them just looked at each other in silence, then she glanced down remembering what she had brought for him. "Here. These are letters from your family." She dug into her pocket and handed the white envelopes to him. "It's not the same there without you, you know."

"I bet... have you seen my mom recently?" He looked over the envelopes.

"Not very recently, but I have seen her and she's in bad shape." Lissa shook her head. "Poor woman, she can't even put on a brave face."

Colt lowered his eyes and played with the letters in his hands. "This sucks Liss', it really sucks... I shouldn't be here, I should be at home with my real mom and my real family."

"But what can you do? The law, is the law. You can't go against it."

"I know that... but still. It sucks."

Lissa pulled the boy into a hug and held him tightly. "I'm sorry it has to be this way. Maybe someday, you're parents would let you visit the Douglas's."

"My family." Colt snapped. "They're not some strangers, they're my family."

"Yes, of course." Lissa held her hands out in defense.

Colt shook his head. "No, I'm sorry..." He mumbled quietly. "It's just that... I miss them, I miss being _me_. I don't know how to act here and for that I'm always in some kind of trouble."

She listened quietly as the boy poured his heart out to her and what he was saying began to make her feel extremely guilty. She should never have helped him find the McRea's, she should have listened to her instincts to tell him not to look into it. Now he's stuck here with a family that makes him uncomfortable. It was all her fault.

Colt brushed a hand over her shoulder. "So, you staying for dinner? Maybe you and me could find someplace out here to go to."

"....I don't know, would that be okay with the McRea's?" She wondered.

Colt shrugged and heard the front door open. "That must be Jamie. I gotta go talk to her." He stood up. "Please wait here for me, okay?"

The young woman nodded and Colt left the room. "Here comes the nightmare." He said repeating John.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

A.N: I'm sorry this took so long but I was moving and then the computer had hacker after hacker it was all a nightmare. I hope I didn't fully lose my mojo for this, and that you like the update. Dante I hear ya, and thank you. Colt doesn't have to repeat the grade, and umm… there's some more of the story to be uncovered. And hopefully it's all going in sequence I can never tell cause I don't like to read my stuff over I change too much haha. Thanks to everyone who read, I love ya all. Lighter.

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Chapter _T_hirteen.

Sabrina sat in her cell, rocking back and forth. She had said nothing to anyone for days. Her family hadn't come by anymore, though they have called from time to time. "The leader will save his sheep." The woman said quietly out of nowhere. "Little lamb, my little lamb she took him from me."

The guard standing in the cell walked another person through the sound proof door of the prison rooms. The woman was large and gruff, shaggy brown hair cut short above her ears, a tough look that said she were just waiting for someone to say the wrong thing to her. "You people are gonna hear from my lawyers about this! _I'm innocent_!" She hollered for the whole world to hear.

"Yeah yeah, like I haven't heard _that_ one before." The man patronized. "Hey Sabrina, you've got yourself a new room mate." He laughed before shoving the newcomer into the cell with the poor woman.

"The leader will save his sheep." The woman whispered.

"Ha, sounds like you found your voice again." The guard noticed the woman's words, especially since he hadn't heard anything out of her for what seemed like forever- even when they teased her!

The large lady was thrown into the cell, turning quickly to bang her hands against the bars before moving away from them to sit on the bed beside her new cell mate. She seemed unaware of the tiny blonde woman that shared the cell with her, until a thin shaking hand reached out for hers.

"I'm Sabrina." She muttered.

The woman looked her up and down before taking the offered hand giving it a shake. "Hello Sabrina, I'm Bonnie."

Sabrina smiled at her pulling her hand away, bringing it back down around her knees with the other hand. "Are you sad to be in here?" She asked.

"Naahh, I'm just pissed." Bonnie confessed in all honesty. "You see the thing is, I have a son, he's a young thing about a year old and damn it all if my mother doesn't butt into my life." The woman shook her head. "Telling me, I'm not the right type of person to be havin' no kids... so she took him from me."

"That's awful." Sabrina sighed, listening carefully to her new friends story.

"Yeah it is." Bonnie looked down sadly. "I went to her house a couple nights ago and we had a huge fight, next thing I knew I was hollerin' and throwin' stuff..." Her rich southern accent seemed to be getting heavier as she spoke. "Than the dang woman called the cops, I of course took off- 'cause I've been charged many times before for stealin',"

"Oh stealing!" Sabrina called out. "Someone stole from me... when I was younger... she took something- no no..." She searched her brain to recall. Why wouldn't it stick with her. "She took _someone_ from me, I was at a hospital because I was hurting in my stomach" Sabrina shook her head.

"Maybe you had the flu." Bonnie offered, as she had forgotten of her tale to listen to the odd woman.

"No... no not the flu... someone new came into the world." Sabrina shook her head frantically.

Bonnie remained quiet wondering what the woman could possible be talking about. "...Do you mean you had a baby?"

"Yes! A baby! A baby boy... He was so beautiful, big hazel eyes and dirty blonde hair." She was almost beaming at the memory of this boy.

"He sounds really special to you," Bonnie smiled. "What was his name?"

"I called him little lamb, but everyone called him Jefferson." Her smile never faded.

"...That's a sweet story hon'." Said Bonnie.

"Hon'... my sister Jessi calls me hon'... she's wonderful- when I stole a baby boy I gave him to her. He looked so much like my Jefferson, he even said his name was Jeff though he couldn't talk so good."

Bonnie rubbed the woman's tiny back and frowned. "You stole a kid? No wonder you're in here."

Sabrina laughed. "I didn't steal a kid you silly, I took my son to Jessica because she only had one and I was sure that she'd like two."

Bonnie was confused and it didn't take her long to figure out that Sabrina wasn't all there. "Well, I hope everything works out for ya."

"Me too."

"And I walk through the crowd and see you standing there after a- a-... a fight!"

Jamie's ranting had gone on like that for a good ten minutes. All the McRae's were feeling the woman's rage as she chewed into her sons actions. Colt had sat through the worst of it quietly but the woman had hit a few hard spots and he felt he had to speak up. "Jami-.." He swallowed correcting himself. "Mom, I wasn't fighting for the sake of it. I was helping a woman out, that guy stole her purse. What was I supposed to do?"

The woman's eyes boggled, and she scoffed. "You let the police handle it! Jefferson for God's sake that man could have had a gun with him! Aaahh!" She threw her hands up into the air in exasperation.

"Mom... I'm a _ninja_... _remember_? I'm used to handling things like that." Colt tried to sound rational, calm but he was beginning to feel his temper flare up.

"I don't know! You've been with those people for so long sometimes I don't know who you are!" Jamie screamed. "I'm not trying to get used to you, this Jeffery. I want to get my son back _that's all_."

"Well _Jamie_... Let me tell you a little secret." He didn't mean to have so much malice in his tone, but his voice oozed with the taste of anger and resentment. "_I am Jeffery_! And as far as _I know_ your son _died_!"

Colt knew the words had stung the woman. He knew he had hurt her. But he didn't care, not by much anyway as he stomped upstairs into Jefferson's bedroom because it certainly wasn't his- and it _never_ would be.

Jamie withered down onto the couch like a crumpled paper bag. Ben held onto his wife, a sorrowful look on his face. How could he let this happen to his wife? How could he... have brought this world to her?

John blinked in astonished, amazement that his brother had so much anger in him even when things seemed to be going fine with them- or at least he thought so. "I'm gonna go talk to him." He marched upstairs.

Annalise bit her tongue, eyes slit. She had had enough. She knew more than anyone that her mother could be impossible- almost unbearable at times, but Jamie didn't deserve this. Not from a boy who... She cut her words off. "I'm going to go study." She said to no one in particular.

Jeremy listened to the whole battle with deaf ears as he played quietly with Manga in a corner of the living room.

Jamie sniffled hard, hearing the words her son had said over and over again. "I don't understand, is he angry with me? Did I do something wrong, Ben?" The woman was at the end of her rope. Her son was obviously never going to return, and she would be stuck with this... Jeffery because her motherly side told her that she loved him and she does... doesn't she?

"I don't think so honey it's just been a rough week for him. That's all... we have to give these things time and it'll take time before we're a family again." Ben soothed her the best he could.

But Jamie cried on, shaking her head that it would never happen. She prayed for strength silently that she would not give up hope, but it felt like hope were too far from her reach. "I just want my sooon!" She cried out loudly.

Upstairs. 'Lissa sat quietly, patiently waiting for Colt to say something but he merely lay on his back in bed, looking as though he had just lit a fire and would gladly watch it burn. His skin felt hot and so were his emotions, so much so that speaking seemed out of the question because he didn't want his words to be harsh- not to the only friend he had in that house right now.

Colt had calmed himself long enough to finally talk when his door swung open announcing Johns arrival by hitting the wall. The taller teen crossed the room over to his brothers bed and with a point he said in an ordering tone. "Go say you're sorry."

"Why?" Asked Colt, sitting fully up. "So she can feel all warm and fuzzy hoping that her son will walk out of my body and leave me for dead? No. If she can't accept me for who I am, than she can't accept me at all."

John clenched his jaw, he knew deep down that his brother had made a good point, but he also shouldn't have said what he said. "I know mom says some messed up things this to you. She says them to us all, but that doesn't mean you can go and chew her head off. So Jeff, please just... go and say you're sorry."

Colt sighed, eyes rolling to the ceiling. Why was this always the pattern that he had to live by? Why was he always the one to apologize to someone. Didn't Jamie says some hurtful things herself? Calling him a child, making him feel like, _he_ as a person didn't matter and that all she wanted was some five or six year old little boy back? What kind of woman politely tells someone to drop dead unless they change?

Neilissa cleared her voice and stood from the chair she had sat in. "If I may say something?" She looked to John then Colt. "Colt... I believe that you should apologize for your harsh tone to Mrs. McRae, but you're point is right. Let her see that without yelling." Looking to the other young man in the room, she said. "John, I believe your mother is to say that she's sorry to Jeffery as well. She shouldn't just assume that living the life he had is what made him who he is, he may have turned out this way whether he was with this family or another."

John knew she was right. He couldn't disagree with that- or the fact that his mother did need to say that she was sorry. But he still thought that Jefferson should say that he's sorry first.

"Fine. I'll say that I'm sorry, but after that she has to accept me for who I am... or I walk." He held his head up high.

John just shook his head. "...Alright, you better tell mom that. Come on."

The three walked downstairs, single filed and approached Jamie. The woman was still seated on the couch, tears streaming from her eyes. Colt frowned seeing that she had taken it so hard. He was used to a family that yelled back and didn't take his attitude no matter how much of it he shot back at them. Even Tum Tum had some bite when he wanted to. But the crying was new. "Mom?"

"Go away... just leave me alone." She sobbed.

Colt shot John a glance that said he tried. Oh well. He was out of there. But his brother nudged him forward. Reaching out for his mother he put an arm around her. "I'm sorry Mom."

She wiped a tissue under her nose, looking up at him. "Thank you son, I'm sorry too." The two hugged one another tenderly. Colt closed his eyes. He didn't care if he ever got used to this family, he would never get used to being someone else. Never.

"Mom...?" Tum Tum said while brushing his teeth. He had took it upon himself to leave the bathroom and strolled downstairs to talk to his Mom. "Do you think that Colt will someday come back?"

Jessica looked at her son, a frown coming across her face. "Sweet heart. I told you before I don't know. He might, but he may not. We can't expect visiting rights, he's not my son. I stole him."

"But I thought Aunt Sabrina stole him."

"She did, but I'm an accomplish because I... honey you're dripping on the carpet." She informed.

"Oh, sorry." He bent over to wipe a hand through it.

Jessica sighed, seeing the stain getting bigger. "Here, let me do that." She walked over to him with a Kleenex.

"Are... you still sad?" Her youngest son asked her. He felt so alone without Rocky around. He couldn't be the strong one, that's what Rocky was for, keeping their parents on their toes that's what Colt was for. And he, he just had to let them know that from all of them, they were still and always would be needed.

"Yes honey. I'm still very sad." She replied. "Your father doesn't like his new job, I'm getting harassed at mine, something has to give but it won't. I'm afraid this nightmare will never be over."

"...It will. You've just... gotta believe." Tum Tum pat his hand on his mothers shoulder. "I gotta go rinse. Good night Mom."

"Good night, and Tum Tum wash your face."

"I know I know." He rolled his eyes playfully.

Jessica smiled, glad that she had someone with her during the nights when Sam worked. She needed her sons back, all of them. If there was just some way to do it.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter 14

Things grew quiet in the McRea house after Colt and Jamie had made up from their fight. All the kids seemed to be in their own worlds of thought and didn't seem as though they wanted to be disturbed at the moment. John had gone to his room to study, Anna in her room to do the same while Jeremy settled with just calming down and eating a bowl of ice cream at the kitchen table.

Colt took this as his chance to go out with 'Lissa so the two could talk for a while. Jamie was hesitant, but eventually agreed to it after her husband decided to side with his second son. Colt could only thank him with his eyes as not to tick Jamie off any further.

Neilissa chose to drive since Colt wasn't comfortable borrowing the car from his new parents just yet. The moment the two of them were out of the drive way and good distance away from the house Colt let out a loud yell, throwing his hands up into the air as high as they could go with the low car roof over his head. Liss gave him a sympathetic glance before returning her eyes to the road.

The frustrated teen was silent a moment while he let his temper calm down. "It's just so damn frustrating, you have no idea!" It sounded as though he were snapping at the McRae's themselves as the words barked from his mouth.

"Tell me about it, there are too many people parking against the curb in this neighborhood." His friend commented in a teasing manner.

Colt just looked at her sideways then shook his head with a smile. "You're not helping any."

"I know, I'm sorry." Lissa used her instructors voice on him. He knew he was in for a lecture, but the tone was so nice and familiar that he just didn't care right now. He would have begged for something from his old life no matter how bad he had thought it before. Sam to yell at him because he didn't mow the lawn. Jessica to call him sweetie while she asked him in her commando tone to have a seat for a 'your father is right' speech. And Rocky, oh how he missed Rocky and his little king of reasoning speeches. And Rum was always good for his ego, when he goes through his 'just like you' phases.

"I'm taking you on this drive so that you can cool off." Lissa explained. "Aaand, I know you'd want to read what your family wrote to you without interruptions."

"That's assuming I had the foresight to bring them." He teased right back from before. Grinning at the raised eyebrow from his friend.

"You didn't?" She began.

Colt reached into his back pocket. "Of course not. I just like to watch your eyebrow do that thing." The young woman blushed keeping her focus on the road. Colt smirked right back at her, knowing what she was thinking. He thought a lot about it himself. That night they almost became a little more than friends when he was deciding whether or not he wanted to confront his parents with what he had found out about his past. But right now was not the time to explore options when he had a little piece of his old family- his real family in his hands. Which one to read first? He wondered.

The car pulled to a stop next to a quiet park. Street lights were beginning to come on now, filing the sky with a slight tint of an orange glow because there was such a short distance before the next light it gave darkness little space to squeeze itself into. Three large trees blocked full view of an empty little play area. But it didn't matter, the pair wasn't exactly there for the view.

Glad for more than enough light to see so that they wouldn't have to turn on the over head, Colt decided on Tum's letter choosing it to be the one with the least to say. His little brother was never one for writing, unlike Rocky who could write a full eight pages to one person for a letter in a matter of minutes. It was strange considering Rock' never really seemed to do much in a day, Colt just assumed he had a secret night life that he was dying to tell someone about- which is why he adopted so many pen- and internet pals.

Neilissa reached beside the drivers seat to the glove compartment pulling out a small knife for which Colt figured was for protection. "Thanks." He offered in a weak tone. He almost couldn't bare to do it now that he was finally here. "Ha, this feels about as comfortable as getting your teeth pulled without Novocain." The usually cool teen tried making light of the uncomfortable situation.

Lissa watched Colt's face carefully, before offering. "...I can wait outside if you'd like?"

"Huh? Oh," he laughed lightly. "No, I should... I'm fine. Please stay."  
It was almost said too sadly for her not to stay even he had told her to go. Placing a hand to his shoulder the teacher gave it a comforting squeeze. "Just know... I'm here for you."

"I know. Thanks."

Sliding out the sheet of paper, Colt unfolded the tight little pieces of paper that is his little brothers trade mark of annoyance. He tended to fold things in the oddest manner until you couldn't take it anymore and just ended up throwing the thing away. The little rebel in training claims he made it up but Colt had caught him many a days practicing the technique because he learned it from a friend at school. But enough side pedaling.

Dear Colt,

Hi. Everything here is good and…. No, I can't lie. This whole thing sucks! I've never seen mom and dad so upset, especially mom... She's been crying almost every night that I stayed up because, I couldn't sleep thinking about you and this whole thing blocks out the fact that I'm tired. (He scratched something out)

Do you know how its been since I've eaten a full meal! I guess... what I'm really saying is... we miss you Colt. It's not fair that this happened? Why would you do this to your real family? Are you mad at us? Did Rocky tick you off on the way home that day- was it me! You seemed fine when you first came here so it must be me right?

Colt... I hope your new family treats you right and... and maybe lets you visit... Oh never mind. I hate you! I hate you!

Colt frowned feeling tears fall down his face. That was it... every day he was gone from his old family and they had a problem they began to hate him. Blame him for things... How could they...? The note lowered from Colts hand, landing on his lap and with it the last chip in his nervous system. He began to cry.

Neilissa, who was watching the whole sad scene reached over to comfort the boy but he pulled away from her grip. Getting out of the car he bolted across the park barely looking to see exactly where he was going. He just knew he had to run.

"Jeffrey! Jeffrey!" Lissa called after him, but to no avail he was out of ear shot.

Colt ran as far as he could not stopping to catch even half a breath as he belted past a set of benches and trees, swings and see-saws. Finally Colt's body gave before his spirit and he collapsed to his knees catching himself with his hands before he went all the way down to the cement sidewalk. His breaths came out hard in a pant.

Is this what it feels like to have a panic attack? Or is it asthma? No that can't be, I've never had asthma before a day in my life- so maybe hyperventilation. While Colt wrestled with his thoughts as to why his body refused to remember how to breathe his former teacher walked casually up behind him, crouching down to be right beside him.

"Jeffrey?" She placed a hand onto the gasping boys back. "Deep breaths, okay?" Neilissa's hand patted gently upon Colt's back.

"They're miserable. All of them... they're all faking me out with all these cheerful little letters and low and behold Tum Tum tells me the truth..." He wiped his eyes falling back onto his butt for a better sitting position. "They hate me for what I did... I don't blame them."

Neilissa frowned pulling a tissue from her pocket wiping the small bits of gravels from Colt's face that he rubbed onto himself without knowing it. "You don't know that... Did you read the other letters?"

"Do I need to? I know what they all say... Hold on Colt. We all miss you very much but be strong, we'll give you some of our strength- shit like that and I'm not in the mood for it." He slowly shook his head. "Sad to know that my little brother is the only one who cares enough about me to give me the truth, guess they didn't count on the kids mouth."

"Don't talk about your family like that... they need you to be strong so that they can be strong themselves- Colt they don't hate you, they're just beside themselves with grief over losing you- I know I've been by your house. I see the way your brother is at school he's miserable!" She shouted the last part. "If that's hatred towards you than I must have missed something in translation."

Colt seemed unmoved as he closed his eyes looking as though he were trying to tune her out with meditation. "If those notes say that they aren't sad or putting up a front than that means you're the one who hates them... Maybe you're mad that they didn't fight hard enough to keep you- maybe you're even trying to say they hate you so that you don't have to miss them but whatever the reason I'm sure it was just pure frustration at the whole situation."

"Plain as day... I hate you... I hate you.." He handed her the note. She glanced over it but shook her head. "This is a boy near tears who wants you to be happy but the thought of it upset him... That's all..."

Colt rose to his feet, head down as he started back to the car. "I wanna go home."

Neilissa shrugged. In all her years of knowing Colt she had never seen his stubborn streak this strong... Well... maybe not never...

Rocky lay in bed at the dorm he shared at the L.A. college. The lights were turned out, the room only lit by the moonlight shinning into the window. Rocky's solemn face shown pale blue in the light as a frown began to take over his features. He didn't exactly want to be at school, but he had no other choice, sad or not he didn't need to let this thing with his family take over his life. He couldn't!

But still, something was nagging him in the back of his mind- some missing piece to this odd puzzle their family seemed to get mixed up in and he had to find answers... and the first place to start getting them was obvious. Aunt Sabrina.

Sitting up, he dropped his feet to the side of the bed. Quietly standing as to not wake up his sleeping new roommate Ethan, since Colt had moved out Rocky slipped to the closet snagging an outfit to wear before he tip toed out of the room to his car.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

A.N: I'm rushing the end to you because in my mind I've already moved on from this fic. But it doesn't mean it won't be good and the way that I wanted it to be, just consider it director's cutting. My next fic will be suspense, and drama and something else I hope you will like it. It's a Rocky fic starring he and the return of Maria, from Silent Voices. Thank you all for reading I love ya.

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Chapter Fifteen:

Rocky was outside the Douglas house. He had been throwing pebbles up at his little brothers window trying to get the sleeping boys attention. So far he remained unsuccessful. _Kid could sleep through the loudest sounds... though open a candy car and he's right under your nose._ He smirked at his joke but it quickly faded, he was not in the mood for jokes- not really, not when his brother was off with some family living there thinking that he's alone when he isn't. He had the Douglas family and always would, at least in Rocky's opinion.

Suddenly the front door opened. His little brother appeared in the shadows. He was wearing a large black sweater with hooded back, deep blue jeans covered his legs and his usual white, black and red Nike's lit up with every step they took toward his older brother.

"Tum tum... why didn't you open the window?" His brother asked, since the boy had obviously heard the pebbles hitting the window.

"I couldn't risk it." Tum stated. "Mom could still be up, she cries a lot you know." He stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Tum looked old for his age, a mere 17 going on 18, looked all and 22 now. This was aging everyone in some ways. Rocky could only imagine what's left of Colt after all this. Would his brother be the same spunky, lively boy he's always been? Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't. It's hard to say how people will take things, he certainly wasn't the same after what had happened to him when he was a freshman in college and he wasn't sure if he had ever really gotten over the whole ordeal. But that didn't matter right now, what mattered is Colt.

"I know," mentioned Rocky, mimicking his brothers stance leaning against his car. "Which is why I need you to do me a favor."

"What?"

"..." Rocky took in a deep breath and sighed. "I'm going to Arizona, to uncover the truth about this whole thing, a lot of stuff just doesn't make sense to me and I have to know with my own proof and my own eyes that Colt doesn't belong in this family. And maybe then I can..." He wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Be fine with it? Be all right, and maybe not feel so empty inside? He wasn't sure, but he knew this was the right way to approach this.

"Arizona..." repeats Tum tum. "Rocky... you're crazy."

"It's been said to me before, and I got us out of that prison didn't I?" He smiled down at his little brother who was about shoulder height to him now. The boy was growing like a weed, you have to wonder how people who used to be shorter than you just sprout up inches past you. Is it the generation, the animal hormones in Milk, who knows. But the height suited the young boy. It had a wave of maturity.

"But why are you going there?" He asked.

"I'm gonna talk to aunt Sabrina." He held up a hand to his brothers protest. "I know she's not all there but sometimes she is and I'm hoping that I can bring her out of her shell long enough to maybe get some insight to what's really going on."

"And what about me?"

"I need you to keep a close eye on the phones and Mom, make sure she doesn't know that I'm at school, she doesn't need to be upset anymore than she already is. I'll be back as soon as I can." He stood straight now, opening his car door.

"Rocky," Tum stood up as well. "...Bring Colt back, okay?"

Rocky gave his brother a faint smile. "I'll do my best." With that he drove off. Lights from his car flickering its turn signal.

Tum tum watched after the car, a grim expression on his face. _Go Rocky, bring our family back together..._

The next day. The McRae family was busy getting ready for school. Colt was lagging because of the long night he had. He didn't want to think about what Anna had said to him. It was bizarre to say the least, she talked as if he were some stranger and was wrecking a family that already had a wrecking ball taken to it.

When he had gotten home that night after his freak out from Tum tum's letter, she saw his sister in the kitchen. She was holding a picture book in her hand, flipping the pages slowly as if taking them into her mind because she might forget about them.

"What are you doing up?" Asked Colt, strolling into the kitchen. He pulled up a chair, sitting next to the silent girl, looking down into the book with her gaze.

"I'm just thinking about some things." She turned her head to look at him, he reading glasses shined a moment in the kitchen light that brightly lit the stove top.

"What things?" Colt looked at a picture of a woman holding two babies; he smiled. "Is that us?"

"Yes... and no." She replied.

Colt looked over at her. "What's that supposed to mean?" He was curious. Is this Annalisse's mean side coming out? A side he knew all too well, when he didn't really want to talk to someone. Cold shoulder them and make them wish they had never talked to you in the first place.

"Figure it out for yourself, you're making mom cry and anger- like she's never been angry before and do you care? No, you're only out for that family of yours instead of giving ours a try."

Colt, for a second was taken aback, but he shook it off with a nod saying, "You're right, I'm not giving your family a chance... maybe because part of me thought that I didn't really belong here, we've all..." He swallowed. "Been living separate lives so long it seems wrong any other way... I thought that my family, the Douglas's still loved me and wanted me and I told myself I wouldn't give you the time of day... but I see now that I was wrong."

Anne looked at her brother. So similar, yet so different. "How so you figure that? Your girlfriend tell you? Or maybe you had some more secret phone calls during the night."

Colt flushed. "So you know about that..." He nodded making a smacking sound with his mouth as he twists it in. "Miss Paularus isn't my girlfriend, she's just a friend of mine... I was talking to her that night, but I did try to reach my family. It didn't work."

"How nice."

"I wish you wouldn't be so spiteful, you have to know what I'm feeling. You have to give me a chance."

"Like the one you gave us?"

Colt knew she was right, so he said nothing. Annalisse continued to flip through the picture book and then he saw something, in one of the photo's that made his heart stop. It was blurred but he was almost positive that he saw... _Aunt Sabrina?_ The picture was taken in the room with his mother, Jamie holding one baby- a girl and she looked to be crying. But in the back of the room next to that one, was a woman in a bed and she looked exactly like his aunt.

Anne looked at the photo with disinterest then she closed the book, bringing Colt out of his thoughts. "Jefferson... I like you. As a person you remind me of myself and it makes me feel sorry for you. Because if you're anything like me than where I am, you've been there."

"Like you?"

"Often quiet, bad tempered when you feel cheated. Otherwise you're a lively realist." She blinked. "Am I right?"

"...Yeah, actually... Annie, you're not making any sense."

"Listen, I love you like a brother... you're a good kid." She pats his shoulder then gets up to go to bed.

Colt remained in the chair, wondering what this odd conversation meant to him. To the McRea's, was Anna trying to tell him something with out actually doing it? If so, what? Now today, at breakfast the girl wouldn't so much as make eye contact with him. They had finished their food and headed off to school in the same car, with John at the wheel.

"You nervous?" He asked through the rear view mirror.

"Not at all, I love school." Colt replied hastily.

"Hahaha, more like socializing."

Colt blushed a bit. "Yeah, you're right." A laugh came from his lips. "What can I say, I like to talk."

John laughed as well. He liked to see his brother in a good mood. He wasn't sure what had changed over night though, but he liked it better this way. Annalisse however, knew what was going on, and it kind of bothered her that Colt was only giving her family a chance because his family no longer wanted him, at least that's what she had come to understand.

"Hey maybe we could leave campus during break and get a pizza or something?" John suggested, playfulness written all over his voice. He planned to have a good day and was glad everyone else was on the same wave length.

"I hate pizza."

"Since when?" He asked his sister.

"Since yesterday," She crossed her arms.

"Oh let me guess, it's the _trend_ now?"

Anne stuck her tongue out at her brother. John just laughed. Colt looked out the window longingly. He wanted a good day and he would get it, even if he had to fake it until it became real. He would do this, he would live with this family for as long as he needed and then he would leave them. He would leave everyone- he needed no one if no one needed him. But it wouldn't be on a sour note, he had intentions of being kind that was who he is. To an extent, anyway.

The car slowed to a stop and the three got out. Colt was actually shocked that Jamie hadn't decided to just bring him herself. She normally would have but after the other day, they both seemed stand offish to one another.

A good day. Colt coaxed with a false smile.

Rocky had many forms to clear before he could see his aunt. He had been in that police station since eleven o'clock that morning and it was already going on One. "Here you are." He said to the man, handing the papers back.

"The guard at the door will escort you in." He said with little life or luster.

"Thank you." Rocky walked to the left where a man stood. He opened the door for the solemn boy and lead him to a cell where his aunt rest on one of the lower beds.

She looked frail and sad, but she had a smile on her face. Rocky's heart ached. The guard opened the door, telling Rocky he had about five minutes, ten if he were good. He nodded to the man and walked over to his aunt, wary of the other person in the cell.

"Auntie Sabrina?" He knelt down by her bed. "You awake?" He shook her shoulder gently.

Bonnie, her cell mate watched as the boy tried to wake his sleeping aunt. Then she spoke in a tired voice, but one full of interest. "You're her nephew huh?"

Rocky looked over his shoulder at the woman, replying. "Yes."

"Handsome boy," compliments Bonnie.

"Thank you." He turned his eyes from the odd woman back to his aunt. "Aunt Sabrina? It's me Rocky... are you in there?"

"She was up ten minutes ago, she only recently got into that laying position and..." She trailed not knowing how to finish her sentence. "Is she alright?"

"No, my aunt was in a cult mostly all her life... she hasn't been the same since, but she's recently been with my grandmother in Georgia."

"Oh..."

There was silence. Then Rocky turned around standing up, holding out a hand. "I'm Samuel Douglas,"

"You can just call me Bonnie." She shook his hand, hers very much like rubber and his feeling a little like cushy seats with a few bumps from callus's while using weapons over his summers with grandpa. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, has my aunt talked to you much since you've been here?" Rocky asks out of nowhere.

"A bit."

"Well," he sat down beside Bonnie. "Can you tell me what it was you were talking about?" He looked back over to Sabrina. "Something bad happened and... it split our family up... but I think that it's not true and only Sabrina really knows what happened."

"That's why you came here, a dump like this." She looked around at the small cell.

Rocky nodded.

"We didn't talk much about anything,"

"Oh..." Rocky looked defeated.

"She did though mention something about her son." Bonnie shook her head. "Maybe if he came to see her she wouldn't be so rattled."

"Son? My aunt doesn't have any children..." He narrowed his eyes.

"She doesn't?" Rocky shook his head. "Well, she was speaking of someone... a boy. Called him a miracle, then she told me he was gone- or was it that... she was gone?"

That's weird... Mom never mentioned anything about Aunt Sabrina having children... Could there really be something going on that only my aunt knows about? Rocky moved over to the woman again. "Aunt Sabrina, please... snap out of it. I need to talk to you about Colt."

"Colt?" She whispered quietly.

"Jeffrey..." Rocky tried to help her. A smile appeared on his face, glad that she was speaking.

"Jeffrey... I remember Jeffrey... such a beautiful boy. He had eyes like his fathers."

Rocky blinked, he didn't have a clue what she were talking about. Sabrina had never met the McRae's. Been abused by them in her fragile state sure but never seen them in person. Maybe it was from tv.

"I cried that day, he took him from me."

"Huh? Took who?"

The woman blinked suddenly, as if she had snapped out of a long sleep. "He told me to hush and he took him."

"Took who?"

"My son... my beautiful boy." She looked at Rocky, sitting up quickly, grabbing his cheeks. "The leader came for his sheep!" She called out. Then for a reason all her own, Sabrina screamed. High ear piercing.

Rocky and Bonnie covered their ears as his aunt screamed on.

"Alright alright." The guard came in and grabbed Rocky. "Funs over."

"Jeffrey! Jeffrey!" She screamed.

Rocky was being escorted out of the cell. His aunts voice following him as she shouted louder. "Give me back my son!"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Rocky was shocked to see that his Aunt freaked out so badly, but some of things she said rang through his head.

"_He told me to hush and then they took him from me._"

"_Took who?_"

"_My son... My beautiful boy._"

He couldn't get it out of his head. Was Aunt Sabrina more on the level than she let on? Or was she simply missing her past with the recent events of now. It wouldn't be the first time its happened. But what can he do? He couldn't question her again, not in the state he had left her. Shouting and screaming. But one scream struck him as weird. She called out his brothers name? Usually Aunt Sabrina called them whatever came to mind: Sabin, Jordan, and Mitchell, etcetera. Never by their actual names.

So what would make her Colt's name? He wondered.

Rocky sat warily on a bench at the park, he had his fill of walking and thinking. He had been at it half the day. Sighing, he scratched a hand through his hair and looked left then right. He was gonna have to get a hotel for the night. He wondered briefly if he had enough money on him so he fished around his pocket for his wallet.

"Hmm? Just enough for a room and nothing more." Swearing lowly, he stuffed his wallet back into his pocket then stood from the bench. He needs to find an ATM or he wouldn't get very far in this place, exhausted and hungry. Making his way back to where he had parked, Rocky felt a spark stirring inside of him that said everything was going to be all right. And he hoped it wasn't just a whim inside of him, that always looked on the bright side, he really wanted everything to be ok. For his families sake, and Colt's.

Colt sits in the mini cafeteria area of the college, rummaging through his back pack. "Come on..." He shoved this book and that out of the way. "Where is it?"

"What are you looking for?" A girl asks, helping herself to the empty seat across from him.

Looking up, Colt recognized the girl from History class and he smiled at her politely. The girl nearly fell from her seat seeing the dimples on his cheeks stand out, at the moment, 'just for her'. "I was just looking for my highlighter. Mrs. Kalinalski is a slave about import things to high light."

"_I know!_" She agreed, almost over emphasizing the matter. "Isn't she the worst? I have her around fifth period."

"Actually I think she's pretty cool." He shrugged.

"Me too! Did I say she was the worst because I really meant another teacher I have."

Colt nods, knowingly at this type of personality. Agree with everything you say to impress you. He was NOT impressed. "Right, some other teacher." Going back to the task at hand, the young girl watched silently a moment, before searching her back pack producing a pink high lighter then a blue.

"You can borrow mine. I don't mind, you can keep it, incase you don't find yours."

"...Oh," he smiled at her again. "Thanks Jodie."

Jodie squealed that he remembered her name. "Anytime, Jefferson." Showing that she knew his as well.

Colt made a face at her before going to his work of high lighting the important names and dates that teacher had discussed in class. All the while he felt the girls eyes on him. Looking up, he closed the book over and stared her directly in the eyes. "I can tell you really wanna ask me something? So go ahead."

"Me!" She chirped. "Uuuhh... ummm," feeling cornered, she quickly stood. "I just remembered, I have to go, see ya!" With a wave of her hand she was off.

Throwing his hands into the air with exasperation, Colt returned to his work. But all the while he felt eyes on him. "Natti, come on out. You can sit with me." He called into the air.

"Well if you insist." The girl came from, what he could tell, was out of nowhere and sat down beside him. "You wanna do homework together?" She asked.

"That's what I'm doing right now," he could feel the sarcasm growing in him. "So chances are if you take out your homework and begin to do it too-..."

Raising a hand to cut him off, she nodded in defeat. "I got it, I got it." But she blushed anyway. Tasha loved Jefferson, she had come to believe this. And would do anything to get his attention so that he would like her. And maybe... ask her out. Taking out her homework assignments, she began to do the ones that needed less attention on them so if she were to peek at this handsome boy she wouldn't be severely messing up anything important.

The two worked quietly together for what seemed like a half an hour, before Tasha looked up and smiled. "Jeff... Can I ask you something?"

"Go on." He didn't look up at her. Just kept his head down. For some reason he was feeling very... work ethnic like in this place. Could be because the place made him feel uncomfortable, it could be because he wanted to avoid really making any kind of friends because they all asked the same questions about the trail. What it was like knowing that he was with the wrong family all that time, things like that. Either way, he hated it there.

"Okay, and you can say 'no' if you want to." She cleared her throat before putting her hand over his stopping his pencil, causing him to look up. "...Would you let me take you out this Saturday?"

"What'd I do to deserve that?" He teased.

Tasha laughed. "I don't mean like shoot you."

"Oh thank God!" He rolled his eyes, but laughed to himself.

"I want to take you out for pizza." Her eyes were pleading.

"I don't know... you're my sisters best friend." He shrugged. "Wouldn't that be kinda weird?"

"No, not at all!" She said quickly. "Anna wouldn't mind at all."

Colt considered the girl a moment before he turned his mouth left than right before frowning out his answer. "Sure, why not?"

"Really! Oh... I mean, thank you!" She was beaming. Natasha stood up nearly banging her knees on the table as she did so. "I'm.. I have to go tell people, see you around Jefferson." Dashing off, she went to locate any and every friend she, and any other girl in school had.

Colt looked after her with a laugh. Girls around here are weird. But hey, who knows, maybe he could get used to them. Maybe he might even like it here. Nah, it was too much to consider right now, and underneath it all he was still hopeful that somehow he would be returning back to his real home, with his real family. Not these- _strangers_.

Sighing, Colt shook his head in dismay. "You had to see that flyer, you had to care." And yet it was funny, even as he thought these things, he still couldn't explain a lot of things. He had no kind of detectives mind when it came to things like this, that was more Rocky's bag. Ha. Rocky. He wondered what he could be up to now. Was he moving on with his life, making new friends and girlfriends? Too many questions, too much to think about. "I better get back to work."

After school was just as bad as being in school. The girls here were nuts for the dark skinned boy. His dirty blond hair and caramel colored skin were more than they could bare. It was so bad they were actually following him and John and his friends home! With luck the boys were allowed to walk, they told their mother they were stopping for shakes and things at the local parlor and surprisingly she let them go. It was daylight after all. What could happen?

"Man, I wish I had your luck with the ladies." John was saying. He kept an eye over their shoulders at the mob that was following them since they left campus grounds. "I'd pick a date for each day."

"Yeah right," Colt swatted his brother on the back of his head. "I don't see you as much of a ladies man, John."

The boy mock frowned, defeated. "Yeah true."

Colt laughed and shook his head. "You make me think so much of my-..." he quickly corrected his self. "Of Rocky. You two would get along great."

"You think so?" Asks John. "What's he like?'

"Oh he's great!" Leaning over to whisper. "Never tell him I said that though,"

John laughed.

"We have sort of a love- hate thing going sometimes." He shrugs. "But he's alright. He's into books and stuff and a total dork when it comes to girls."

Again, John laughed. "He sounds more like Anna's type than mine. I don't really like reading too much."

"Yeah, but Rocky is a philosopher, like you."

"Oh."

"He's nice too, you-..." Someone bumped into his shoulder. Looking back at the person Colt's eyes widened. Rocky!

Walking backward, his brother gave him a small smile and a quick wave when he noticed that he had seen him. What on earth is he doing in Arizona! Colt smiled at his brother as well. John noticed his brother had stopped walking and turned around.

"Jeff? What are you-...?" He looked over the boys shoulder but saw no one.

"Huh? Oh!" He laughed lamely. "I'm just waving at my admirers." He lied. "Gotta give them something to go home with."

"Ha, well I don't think they'll be going home right now," John teased. "They're more likely to be giving that ice cream place some good business depending upon how long we stay."

Colt laughed. He didn't doubt that. But it was all a thoughtful rouge. He was really wondering what his brother was doing there, and how long he planned to stay. "_I hope it has something to do with getting me home._" He pleaded mentally. Turning back around, he followed his other brother the rest of the way in silence.

Rocky walked along with the smile still on his face. He saw his brother and Colt seemed to be doing alright. He would have to report back to Tum tum when he was in a more private place.

"Tasha, I would really rather you just-... stop hitting on my brother, okay?" Annalisse was saying. She was at wits end with her friends silly crush on Jefferson. "it's becoming annoying and embarrassing."

"Hey I never held a gun to his head." The girl replied, still grinning madly about the boys answer.

"He probably only agreed to date you so you would fuck off in the long run."

"Anne, Anne, Anne..." a sigh and her red haired friend slipped an arm around her. "You're only saying that because you don't date."

"And I never will might I add." Anna turned her nose up. "There are better things out there to think about than 'What boy likes me, and how much?' Tasha puleeze."

The other girls rolled their eyes. Even they had to admit Colt was a major babe, so they had to agree with Tasha on that one, but they also had to agree with Anne that enough was enough when it came to talking about him. "Jefferson" covered mostly all the covers on her books! Not to mention the girl was thinking about asking him for a picture later on if he agreed to a date. Fumiko told them that. She's a gossip sometimes.

"Anyway, if I can find a guy that can hold my attention intellectually for more than a half hour than I'll be head over heals." She froze. Looking straight ahead she nearly lost her breath as the perfect- in her eyes- specimen of a an came walking down the side walk. "Wow..." She muttered.

Her friends looked at her as though she had lost her mind. Then looking toward their friends gaze.

"Oh..." Libby's jaw just dropped.

A few feet away from them stood a very attractive male. Ashy blond hair, blue green eyes and a very nice build to him. Not too hard not too soft. Perfect.

Tasha barely threw the boy a glance as she was fawning over her own crush at the time. Tensing up when she saw him moving closer, Anna held a hand to her heart.

"Excuse me," Rocky said as he walked up to them. "Do you know where I can get a phone book around here? I need a hotel for the night and I'm new in town."

The girls could only stare at him. They had never seen anyone that looked the way he does. Except maybe in magazines or described in fictional books.

"Oh honey there are phone booths right around here at the ice cream place. They might have a phone book in them. I'll show you." Waving a hand for him to follow, Tasha headed toward the ice cream parlor. Her intentions in the first place and Rocky followed.

"Thanks you umm,"

"Oh, I'm Natasha and this is Libby," she points at them. "Fumiko, Piper, Naomi and Annalisse."

They all waved. "Hello."

"Hi." His eyes fell mostly to Anna, she looked remarkably like Colt. In fact, if he didn't know any better he'd swear she was his sister. He had only seen the family briefly on tv when the trial was going on. So he couldn't place it but he was sure this was the girl and that boy Colt was with must be his brother. "_So Colt hs a sister, I can only imagine the torment he's bringing her._" He almost laughed out loud at that. "_Hmm, maybe this girl could help me out in some way._"


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

The walk to the ice cream parlor was kind of uncomfortable for Rocky, Annalisse kept glancing at him from the side of her eyes and it was making him a little shaky. Ever since the thing with that girl Maria, Rocky had a hard letting people look at him for too long without saying anything. But, be that as it may, he glanced down at the younger girl and smiled. "Is this place very far?" He asked to break the ice.

"Hm?" She was thrown off a bit by the question, and shook her head in response. "No, it's right around here. You can see it just now, look," pointing a finger at the building, she lowered it when the cute boys eyes were upon it.

"Oh. It's smaller than I would have guessed."

Fumiko stepped a little forward for attention. "Are the ice cream places very large where you come from, Sam?"

"Yeah, a little bit. People need a lot of it there- what with the hot weather and all." He shrugged.

"Where do you come from?" Anna cleared her throat after that, she felt a tickle in the back that threatened to embarrassingly heighten her words to an almost squeak. She had to control herself, this wasn't like her. Of course, she had never met any boy like this Samuel. He was interesting, she could tell. Like there was more to him, unlike her simple and easy to figure out half brother. 'Fuck.' She cursed herself for using that word on Colt. She said she wasn't going to think of him that way. It would only lead to saying it out loud and that would make her mother upset all over again.

"I come from... Texas." He lied.

Libby pursed her lips a bit. "Texas? Than where's your accent?"

Rocky blushed. "I kinda lost it, I've been living with my Aunt in Vermont for years and it slipped away from me." He laughed sweetly. "Actually, I'm kind of glad it's gone, she used to pick on me all the time about it and call me a 'hick'."

They all drew in an exaggerated breath. "Nno! Who would do say something like that?" They almost chirped simultaneously.

Natasha rolled her eyes. How could her friends be into this guy, when there were boys out there like Jefferson. She smile just thinking about him.

Rocky couldn't believe how easily he had just lied to these girls. Sure, he owed them no explanation, no history of sorts, but still... he had a conscience and it would be eating at him right now had they not made it to their destination.

"Finally!" Tasha beamed. She was so glad to see that they were there. But she was mostly happy to see Jeff there, and hopefully he would let her sit with him and John. "The phones are in the back, see you guys!" She started to dash off, but Fumiko pulled the girl long red ponytail, stopping her in her tracks. "Ow! Fumi', let go!"

"Remember who promised to treat today, Tash'..." The girl stated, letting go of her friend.

"I know, I know. I was just gonna speak to Jefferson a bit."

"Oh here we go." Anna commented under her breath.

"Maybe Sam would like to meet him, I'll bet you don't have many friends yet," the girl smiled at the new boy. "You could probably use some male friends, right?"

Now _this _is the Tasha that the girls all know and loved- in a sense. Bossy, loud and usually telling people what was on her mind without thinking. Not this new, love starved, man chasing, star gazing girl they see whenever Jefferson is around.

"I'm sure Sam really needs to use the phones, so forget about it." Anna spoke up for him. "Besides, no one wants to be insulted by you about how much they can't compare to my stupid brother." She said through her teeth.

Rocky winced at that, the only people who were allowed to call Colt- stupid, are him and his family. But this did give him an idea. "I actually think that um... Natasha has a good point. I've only met the female kind since I came here and I think I might need some guy friends."

Anna turned pleading eyes on him to just go and save himself the earful from Tasha, but when Rocky began to follow the red haired girl, she knew it was hopeless and followed as well.

John spotted them right away, a warm smile appeared on his face at the sight of his sister and her cheery little crew. "Hey sis'," he greeted.

"Hi John, Jeff." She muttered. Sucking in a breath, Anna quickly blurted out to Rocky. "These are my brothers, John and Jefferson McRae. Guys this is Samuel. There, you met, let's get you to a phone before they're all taken, huh?"

John laughed at his sister, he could tell she liked him because she had never acted this way usually. "Whoa sis, take a breath, let us talk to the new guy for a while."

Annalisse looked despaired. "He really wants to use the phones, not socialize with you two."

"Samuel huh?" Colt spoke, his voice screaming with amusement. "Kind of a geeky name, though- or can we call you Sam."

Rocky could play this game, and he smirked, his eyes showing mischief. "You can call me Sam, _Jefferson_, or do you prefer Jeff?"

Colt shrugged. "Jeff is fine with me."

Everyone watched this little exchange thinking that the two hated each other off the bat and were about to get into a fight.

"Maybe we should find a table," Libby held out a hand for Rocky to take but he remained where he stood.

"So, Saaaam, where're you from?" Colt couldn't wait to hear this one. He was sure if anyone had asked, Rocky would have made up some sort of cover up story.

"Texas."

"Ooohhh, Texas. The _big_ state. Everything there is biiiig," he looked his true brother up and down. "And yet, you seem kind of- short changed to me. Not to mention you hardly have an accent."

Pushing it Colt, you're reaally pushing it. "Yeah well, I've been living with my Aunt in Vermont for sometime."

"Aaaw, an Aunt in Vermont, look it even rhymes, must be easy for a little country bumpkin like you to remember."

Rocky sneered at his brother, he was always the best at playing this game when it came to insults. And right now, Rocky knew when to back down. "You know what, I really should use the phone, I have to find a place to sleep tonight." He started away.

"Ya'll come back now, ya hear!" Colt called after him.

Rocky turned with a wave to them, showing no harm was done and that he could take a little teasing. The second the new boy was out of sight, Anna pinched her brother on the chest. "You goon, you could have made Sam upset."

"Oooh, I knew it." John began to tease. "You like this guy." He laughed seeing his sisters face turn red. "Oh my God, my little sister has her first crush." John placed a feathered hand to his heart and sighed lovingly.

Colt laughed, imitating his brothers actions, then he rest he head on his shoulder and they sighed again. "It's a beautiful thing."

Annalisse glared so hard at them she thought her eyes might fall from her head. "Shove it." And with that, she walked away, her friends not far behind shooting the two boys the same glare for picking on their friend.

Rocky used the phone and called around for cheap hotels, after that he made plans to find a ATM machine and get some money. Or maybe... Heading away from the phone, he shot a glance back to where his brother was and gave a gesture to him to meet him in the rest room.

Colt noticed this and excused himself. "Order me a cone, uuuum, Fudge Ripple, okay Johnny boy." He patted his brothers arm.

"Well, someone's in a good mood." He mentioned.

"Hey, I've got something to hold over our sisters head. I'm having the best day of my life." He flashed a gorgeous smile that would usual melt a girls face off, but John merely laughed.

When Colt dashed off, he tried to not to be so suspicious about heading into the bathroom until he made it to the door. Once inside, he closed it and turned the lock over. Looking around with his eyes, he skimmed the bathroom and saw no one. "Rocky?"

"Are you alone?" A voice came from the stalls.

"If I weren't I would have said Sam, bonehead."

"Touché." Opening the door, he was slammed into instantly by his brothers embrace. "I take it you missed me."

"Only a whole lot," he backed off. "Look at you, you look... sickly." He laughed.

"Yeah well, we miss you too. " He nudged his brother playfully. "That's the reason for my looking so sickly... And you look... pudgy as always."

"Aaa, eat dirt."

There were several minutes of silence. Neither boy knowing what to say. Colt decided to break the ice with an obvious question.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"I came to get you." Rocky looked at his feet. "It's tearing our family apart not having you there... I miss your loud mouth ranting, your better than the world attitude... I miss you- we all do."

"...Yeah, I kinda got that from Tum's letter." He walked over to the sink and looked at his self in the mirror. "How's Mom?"

"Bad, I won't lie to you bro... she's not doing so good. But as the weeks go by, she seems to be getting better."

"Good."

"She still thinks you're gonna walk into the front door."

"I know, I keep thinking I'm gonna wake up in my old room."

Rocky walked over to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'm gonna find a way to bring you back home. This isn't fair on anyone... especially you."

"Why me?" Colt narrowed his eyes. "I'm the one who started all this... and now... God now, I don't know what to do."

"Hey," he held his brother at arms length. "You'll get through this. I promise, and by the end of this month, you'll be back home with us."

Colt sighed. "I hope so."

They were silent again.

"So, you have a sister. What's that like?"

Colt shrugged. "It's alright, I think she kinda hates how much attention I'm getting from her best friend... what was it- Natasha."

"The red head?"

"Yeah."

This time Rocky shrugged. "She's all right. Go for it."

"Are you crazy? That girl is insane. I only agreed to go out with her so she'd quit stalking me everywhere." He ran a hand through his hair. "It makes me look bad."

Rocky scoffed. "I'm sure the other girls don't notice any other of your fans clinging to your arms, they'll keep calling."

"And what about you, with Anna?"

"I'm not interested, you know that... Besides, I'm using her to get some info. I think maybe she knows something," he bit his lip.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" He couldn't help but look hopeful.

"I can't be sure but, I think she may know more to the kidnapping story than Mrs. McRae lets on."

"Well, whatever it is find out about it and quick." He looked at the door. "I have to get out of here, someone might suspect something."

"Okay," he watched his brother head to the door. "Colt."

"Yeah?"

"...It's good to see you again."

He smiled. "You too, Tex'." He winked at his brother than walked out.

Rocky waited a moment than walked out as well. To his surprise, the boy John had sat down with his sister and her friends as well did Colt. Thinking he could leave, he heads for the door when he hears a voice call to him.

"Hey Sam, why don't you come and sit down with us." John had a friendly smile on his face, and he waved the new boy over.

"Ummm." He hesitated but reluctantly came over. "Alright, but only for a while. I have to go get some money for a hotel and something to eat."

"How much do you need?" Colt mentally smacked his self for speaking too quickly without thinking. If they heard something like that there was a chance that they could figure out who Rocky was, he shouldn't be over friendly. "Maybe we could help you out, new kid." He saved himself.

"Nah, I couldn't take your money. I barely know any of you."

"Than at least take a warm meal from us," John was saying. "You can come to our house for dinner, I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind." He looked at the Colt than to his sister. "And I'm sure _someone_ would really love it if you came."

Rocky blushed and Colt laughed.

"Shut up John." But the girl looked up at Sam anyway with a blush and smile. "Would you like to come to our house for dinner?"

"Yeah, it sounds great." Rocky offered her his best 'hoo haa' smile, and she ate it up.


	18. Chapter 18

A.N: I just wanna thank all who have read and are reading, because seriously, I had lost the life to do this fic when my comp was taken away from me and starting into something that you've forgotten about isn't easy haha. So all your kind words and reviews really kept my going. You too Tess, I love ya sis.

There is an epilogue after this, but tha fic is now over. I hope you liked reading it and will read my next fic even though it's not a Colt fic haha. I hope you'll like it just the same. Adios I love you all. Nell.

……………………

Chapter Eighteen

The ice cream was delicious, regardless what Rocky had thought of the size of the place, the ice cream was perfect. Creamy and rich, with the best flavor imaginable. Rocky got coffee, he always gets coffee ice cream. The chit chat was friendly, especially from John and Rocky decided he liked him. Even though, he technically is the _enemy_, he surely couldn't hold it against the boy. After all, the kidnapping had nothing to do with him or his sister. It was a more adult problem.

The girls questioned him about his life for Annalisse's sake, because they knew their friend was too shy to ask a lot of questions herself. But Rocky, being the gentleman that he is, tried to include her by speaking to her or asking about her, since she didn't seem to want to talk about herself as the other girls did.

Colt seemed like he was enjoying his ice cream as well, but his thoughts were else where. He wondered if Rocky truly could find out something- _anything_ that would get him home with his real family.

"What's your favorite color?" Libby asked.

"Easy, green." Replies Rocky.

Fumiko tapped a finger to her chin. "Do you have a girlfriend? And if not, what is your dating habits?"

"Fumi!" The girls scolded.

"Uum, I'm currently single and I date just fine. I never end relationships I think that's the woman's call, but I'm always happy in love." He answered honestly.

Colt had to laugh at that; he never would answer a question such as that. It was too ridiculous and besides, he relationships were his own business.

"Something funny, _bro_?" Anna pinched Colt's leg under the table.

"No, nothing at all, _sis_." He pinched her back.

"Ooow!" She raised her hand to swing at him, but John reached out to stop her.

"That's enough you two, let's not fight in front of the new guy." He looked to Rocky shaking his head. "You ever have to go through this sort of thing?"

"Ha, all the time with cousins, but I usually get along really well with my family."

"You're lucky," he leaned over to whisper to him. "I live in a house with two- now three other siblings and they're always at each others throats in or rooms, it's a madhouse."

Rocky laughed at that, he could imagine. And he did have soooo many fights with his brothers not to mention he had a hard time breaking them up. Colt could be stubborn, but Tum had developed this bad habit of actually being worse.

"Come on Sam, I'll trade ya." John laughed. "I'll bet your brother is an angel."

"Ahaha, Michael is no angel." Rocky shook his head. "If anything, he's pure evil that sleeps."

"Hey you two, no whispering." Chides Piper, her bracelets shaking as she waved a hand to get their attention.

"Sorry, Pied'." John humored her.

"I said don't call me that John, you know it upsets me."

"I think it's cute." Rocky took another bite from his ice cream, which caused him to miss the girls eyes welling up with love. "Why does he call you Pide?" He looked up into the girls eyes and she blushed looking down.

"Ahaha," she fumbled with her napkin. "Well, John says that all the boys at school follow me around, like the Pied Piper."

"I'd follow you around." Rocky flirted openly. How could he not, she was a beautiful girl, but still he didn't plan to follow through. He never usually did, flirting wasn't his thing so it never lasted long.

Blushing deeper, the girl muttered in Spanish, "gracias." As she tended to speak her native tongue whenever she was embarrassed.

"De nada." Replied Rocky.

Annalisse glared. They had never understood a word Piper said when she spoke even the simplest of the language but, Rocky seemed like he could go all day with her. She had to get them apart. "Uh, what time is it?"

Colt looked at the clock. "Shit, Jamie is gonna have a fit if we don't get home in time." Looking at his brother, Rocky. "Are you coming over?"

"Uuuhh?"

Anna grabbed her coat and stood. "Please say you will, it'll be great you'll see."

Standing, Rocky shrugged. "Who could refuse an invite like that?"

The girl smiled a smile that looked kinda like Colt's and he cocked his head a moment to really look at her. It was in the nose and the eyes, even their teeth seemed similar. Annalisse was a female, Colt.

"Anna?"

"Yes?"

"Are you guys twins?" He points to her and his brother.

"Yup. Scary huh?" She looked a Colt, "a face this pretty shouldn't be on a boy." She gave him a playful shove and Colt pushed her back.

"I'll bet I came out first, so you stole my face."

"Who do you take after?"

"Our father, it's scary what my brother is gonna look like when he's older. Haaair, here and there." She continued to tease him.

"Tch. I'll aaaalways be good looking." They headed toward the door, shoving each other the whole way.

"See what I mean?" John commented.

Rocky frowned a bit seeing the light in his eyes. John seemed to really like having Colt around, Annalisse too. But still, they shouldn't have tried to claim him, they could have visited he was sure Colt wouldn't mind. And unlike the McRae's, his family wouldn't try to cut off contact with them.

"We're home!" Colt announced. He had to admit with Rocky here, and the promise of going home under his belt, he could feel like his old self again.

"Hey kids," Ben replied, hidden in the living room.

The four of them turned the corner at the door and saw Ben McRae standing on a chair from the kitchen table, fixing a light bulb. Rocky had to agree, Colt and Anna took after the father, and since John was more fair skinned with lighter hair, he must take after the mother.

Anna went directly up the stairs to her room to drop her things off. John headed for the kitchen to get something to snack on, never mind that he just had ice cream, he thought he had room for something more. Colt and Rocky walked into the living room with Mr. McRae and sat on the couch.

"Need any help?" Offered his son.

"Nnnope. I got it." He gave it one last twist, then hopped down from the ladder. "Who's your friend?"

"This is-... Anna's friend. Not mine." Colt said bluntly. He had to keep his cover.

"Oh," Ben seemed to lower his tone. "A boy huh?"

"Samuel McDonald. I'm just visiting."

"From Vermont." Colt threw out.

"Yeah, Vermont." Rocky swallowed. He didn't like the dangerous look the man was giving him.

"Weeell, enjoy your stay, by all means." He walked over to Rocky, to shake his hand. "But you don't enjoy it too much son, you understand?"

"Yes sir."

Colt snickered at that, the parents usually look at a guy like Rocky and start picking out China patterns, it was nice to see him on the other end of the stick, the one he usually got as the trouble making bad seed in their daughters life.

"Well sir, I'm not gonna be here long enough to enjoy myself too much." He smiled politely.

"Dad, where's Mom?" Anna asked when she reappeared downstairs.

"She went to get Jeremy, where are your glasses?"

"I left them on my dresser, I needed a drink so I came to get one." She looked at Rocky with a smile.

He smiled back.

"So yeah, I'm just gonna go and do that." She pointed in the direction of the kitchen and nearly bumped into a wall turning.

"Wait, what did you want your mother for?" Ben asked his daughter, getting a little suspicious.

"I wanted to ask if Sam could stay for dinner."

"Oh sure," Ben looked at Rocky. "I'd like to know a little more about this guy myself."

Rocky looked like an innocent lost dog about to trust the wrong hand. "Uuuh, I'll answer anything you wanna know sir."

"Good boy, and if I like what I hear we'll see what happens with my little Anna, eh?" He pats Rocky's shoulder heavily.

"Like I said, I won't be here for very long so..." He was being lead into the kitchen. Looking over his shoulder he threw a pleading look at his brother, who just shrugged with a teasing smile.

Mouthing, Colt said. "Enjoy." And received a mean glare from his brother. _It sure is cool having someone here that's on my team._ Opening his book bag, he removed his books and things for homework.

When Jamie returned she talked for a moment about how her day went to her son Jefferson, but her words froze when she saw Rocky. He was kind and courteous to her, even though his heart carried a little venom toward the woman. She loved him right away, she called him sweet, saying 'of course he can stay for dinner'. He even helped her to set the table. When the family got going with conversation, it was light and pleasant. They talked about school and what classes Rocky was taking, who he was seeing on his vacation.

He said a close cousin. They talked about Vermont, which he had to make up some things on the spot and it wasn't easy with a mischievous brother throwing his two cents in every five seconds to make you seem like a false idiot. But Rocky handled the pressure rather well.

Anna was infatuated with him, nearly hanging on his every word. And once dinner was over, Rocky helped her put the dishes into the sink. While the family left, giving Anna and her new friend some privacy.

"What?" Asks Rocky, blushing that the girl continues to throw long sided glances his way.

She shrugs. "I was just thinking that I can understand why Tasha acts the way she does around Jefferson. You kinda make me feel like being a little goofy myself." She blushed at that. It was in her blood to be blunt at all times.

Rocky laughed. "That's nice to know."

"I just... find it kind of hard to believe you're single." She looked down at her feet.

Rocky turned so that his back was against the counter and he leaned his weight onto it. "I don't think so, I've never really been lucky in love except once."

"What happened?"

Rocky shrugged. "I wanted to make her happy, and... I don't know, I guess her happiness was with someone else, so we broke up. No big deal."

"Oh."

They were silent for several minutes. Rocky thought he was getting no where with his investigation, so he had to push it along. "You have a great looking family. You all seem to take individually from one of your parents. I'm more like my Dad, too."

"Than your father must be really handsome."

"He is. I think so."

"...Would you like to... join me on the patio?"

"Yeah, I'd like to."

Annalisse smiled to herself, leading the way out the back door.

Jamie peeked through the curtains when she heard the back door close. "Isn't that sweet." She held a hand to her fluttering heart.

John joined his mother by the window, peeked out then moved away from it. "Yeah Mom, now we've got solid proof that your only daughter isn't a lesbian." He pats her shoulder playfully.

"Thank Heavens for that," she rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. "I was really beginning to think so too. You can only use that 'I'm not interested in boys until school is over' excuse for so long, you know." She moves away from the window, taking a seat by Jefferson.

Colt glanced to the side to make sure his books weren't about to slide from the seat. Giving them a quick little tug in his direction, satisfied, he got back into his work.

"This is new, what's gotten you so studious?" He mother asks.

Colt shrugged. "I just thought it would be a nice change for me to actually- _do something_ progressive in life."

"Oh." Patting her sons shoulder, she stands. "Just don't study too hard, or you'll end up like your sister."

John laughed at that. Colt didn't get it.

Outside. Annalisse sits on the swing then pats the seat for Rocky to sit as well. Hesitant, Rocky sits down by the girl but he looks up at the sky.

"Nice night huh?" Asks Anna.

"Yeah, you can see a lot of stars here."

Looking up, Anna nods. "I guess..."

"Something wrong?" Rocky looks down at the girl and she turns her eyes away from the blue green iris's.

"I just... have this secret, that I'm dying to tell to someone but," Rocky's ears perked up. "I can't... it would ruin everything for my Mom and maybe my Dad too."

"You can tell me anything, ha," he gave her a playful shove. "Who am I gonna tell, I'll be gone in two days."

"True but," she quieted.

"Annalisse... sometimes the best thing in life is to be as honest as you can." He sighed when he saw that his words made no leeway. "You can't carry secrets around with you all the time, it'll hurt you in the end, I know."

"What secrets do you have?"

Rocky frowned. It was obvious he was gonna have to give something up to get something that might be helpful in return. Annalisse might know if he were lying so he decided to go with the truth. "I... I was kidnapped when I was younger."

"Oh my God, are you ok? I mean, were you hurt too much?"

"No, I was fine... But I never told anyone that I was really scared." He swallowed. "I... never got over that whole thing, it made me... not trust a lot of people who showed any type of interest in me." This time, Rocky turned his eyes to her. "Even you, I've been guarded, and you're such a nice person."

"Oh no, it's okay... if I'd of known I was making you uncomfortable I never would have... come on so strong."

"You didn't, believe me. You were just fine." Rocky looks back up at the sky. "I'm just kinda not looking for love lately."

"Neither was I, until I met you."

They both smiled at each other kindly.

Alright already, tell me what this secret is... I just know it has something to do with Colt. I'm sure of it. Rocky studied Anna's face, she seemed to be doing the same to him.

And without meaning to, the two of them leaned toward each other to kiss when-...

"Woo hoo! Anna!"

"Kiss him good sis!" John chimed in.

He and Colt were howling with laughter. Anna glared at them both, but waved it off. Now her cheeks were hot. "Geez, I can take the heat from John but... I wish Jefferson would just go back to where he came from."

"What for?"

"I love him," she hurried that out. "Don't get me wrong, but... he just seems so unhappy here. Not to mention he's making Mom miserable. Dad likes him just fine- of course."

"Of course why? Because he's a boy?"

"No, because he's his son."

Rocky shrugged, shaking his head. "Obviously."

"No... you don't understand." Anna fidgeted on her seat.

"Well, help me to understand. Please."

She was withdrawn, but gradually, he could tell that Anna as dropping her guard.

"Colt isn't really my twin brother."

Rocky's eyes went wide. "...What?"

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, though, okay?" Anna grabbed his arm. "Not your Mom or Dad or- your cousin."

"I won't."

Looking around nervously, Annalisse stood and walked a distance away. Rocky followed her.

"Okay... here's the thing." She looked a little ill from what she was about to say, Rocky already was forming an idea of what happened and he was liking the odds of Colt coming home more and more. "My Dad... had a really bad fight with my mother. They fought like they've never fought before."

"How do you know that?"

"Dad told me."

Rocky nods.

"Well, Dad stormed out and when he did, he had an affair with some fried woman."

"Fried woman?"

"Yeah, a scatter brain... not all there." Rocky nodded. "Her name is... Sabrina Douglas, I think. So, he sleeps with this woman, and comes home. He and Mom make up and that's the end of that."

"But that isn't all there is, is there?"

"No, there's more." Anna glanced back over by the house, no one was peeking at them, so she went on. "Mom found out she was pregnant with twins, me and my brother Jefferson. Dad was so happy to know this, and they were like two puppies in love. Dad loves kids... but John said that Dad told him that Mom was having complications during the pregnancy, Jefferson and I were almost preemies but we fought it out. Then when it was time to give birth, well... Jeff didn't make it when in the nursery."

"...I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it wasn't you fault."

"But how did your father get Jefferson, then?"

"The woman, Sabrina, his one night stand was pregnant as well. She was actually in the very hospital Mom and Dad were in the room right across the hall. She had her child, and when Dad knew how devastated Mom was going to be for losing a kid, he... took Sabrina's baby and passed him off as Jefferson."

"He switched babies!" Rocky couldn't believe what he was hearing, so Colt does belong to their family at least, half way. And that was all he needed to go on. Mr. McRae would have to fess up to his actions in court, that he stole a baby from the nursery and passed him off as his own.

"The woman was a head case, she didn't know that her kid was alive... at least we thought so. I grew up thinking that Jefferson, him, the boy in my house right now was my real twin brother."

"You look so much a like."

"Yeah, we both have Dad's jeans... But when Dad set me aside and told me the truth, I cried. I was too young then to really understand what he had meant by affairs and children and..." She tears up a bit. "But then, I grew to love my brother, since I never knew my real brother I just stuck with Jefferson. Then one day, Sabrina shows up out of nowhere and takes him. We haven't seen him since, until now." Fishing in her pocket she pulls out a picture. "Look at this,"

Rocky takes the picture. "Sabrina," he mumbles.

"Yup." She takes the picture back. "She was there the whole time, I never saw this picture before, until Mom was showing them to us before Jeff came back in our lives... I got mad all over again, first at Dad for never telling Mom and then at Jeff because he had to come back to our lives."

"Wow... That's heavy."

"I knew that was Sabrina because of the court cases, we watched them on TV."

Again, Rocky nods.

"You... won't tell will you. I can tough it out, if Mom is happy but, I really don't think she is... I can stop this whole thing, but Dad will get upset and they might divorce, it's all too much and it makes me angry. Angry at myself for keeping it secret this long, angry at Jeff for not knowing... I'm mad at the world."

Rocky put his arms around her for comfort. "I'm sorry, but... I promise you... this will all be better if you tell the truth."

"It won't."

"It will! You'll see... and then... who knows, everyone can have their lives back together."

Anna wiped her tears and smiled. "I think maybe it is time that the truth got out... thank you Samuel Douglas."

"Wha-... you knew?"

"The whole time... I... kinda saw your car key tag when you brought me home." Nudging the boy, she adds. "I still think your pretty cute, even if you're a liar."

Rocky blushed. Anna only smiled and walked back toward her house. "I trust you'll... use this to bring your brother back to where he really wants to be?"

"I will, and thank you."

"No problem."


	19. Epilogue

A.N: You'll have to go under rated R for my next one, I'll put the warnings and stuff in the fics headings. Thanks again for reading, you're all so nice, well I guess except for the kid but hey, he may like he other one ya know. Hahaha.

………………….

Epilogue:

The conversation was heavy. Jamie didn't want to believe it at all, and Ben wished to deny the entire story, but Annalisse told them what she has told Rocky. Colt was mortified, he couldn't believe that to be the truth but at the same time he was relieved that at least part of his blood was a Douglas. Especially on Grandpa's side.

John could only lower his head in shame at what his father had done, he didn't know what to say. John knew that Colt would want nothing more than to be with the Douglas family rather than his own, and he would miss him desperately. It was nice to have someone around to talk to and hang out with that wasn't younger than him- or his sister.

Jeremy was confused to no measure, he didn't understand that his father could be with some other woman and with his Mom. He didn't understand how Jefferson didn't belong with their family. It made him cry, he ran upstairs to his room with Anna at his heals to comfort him.

Jamie remained silent.

After a good hour or so, Ben began to shout. He made claims that he didn't expect things to go the way they did, he wasn't in the right mind. But no one wanted to hear it.

Then finally, Jamie began to scream. She screamed at her husband and beat on him with her fist pounding in rage, she screamed at Rocky for interfering in their lives, she yelled at Colt to an extent until she finally collapsed on the couch in tears. It had all sunk in that, not only was she losing a son all over again, but she never got to know the one she had lost in the first place. She never got to morn him, now she'll never know what happened to her child, her Jefferson.

Rocky was quiet through the whole ordeal, he was planning on what he was going to say to _his_ family. Their mother will be so happy, and their family might even get their good name back. Tum will stop getting into fights- who knows, everything might start to get back into order. But when he watched his brother go over to Jamie and hug her, he felt tears. It didn't sink in that this family would suffer any in the absents of Colt's presence, he had only been with them for a month and some days. From what Anna said, he was a pain in the butt, but this display here said otherwise.

"I'm sorry Jamie... you were a good mother," Colt looked the woman in the eyes. "I never meant to be such a jerk to you guys, honest."

"You just..." she never finished her sentence, her tears were too violent with sobs.

"Jamie... I..." Colt brushed his hand past his tears. "I can't say that I plan on staying with you guys but," he hesitated a moment, he didn't want to get the woman too hopeful. "I'll visit, I really like this family, John and Annalisse and Jeremy... I like you and Ben too."

"But why would you do that... you're not my son." Jamie uncovered her eyes and looked into Colt's.

"Because despite the jerk I've been, you guys never pushed me to change."

The sobbing woman scoffed at this. "I did."

"Yeah but, what mother wants to hear their son mouthing off to them or getting into fights at the mall." Colt shook Jamie's shoulders, trying to coax a smile from her. "You scared me Jamie, and that's not an easy task... I really care about you."

Sniffling back her tears, she threw her arms around the son in her heart- not just Colt but Jefferson, the real Jefferson. "I love you so much, and please remember us."

"I will."

"And you'll visit soon?" She looked hopeful.

"Haha, right after the holidays, I promise."

Rocky looked to Ben, who stands at the corner of the room. He has dread in his heart, he can't help but feel a few tears himself. Everything he had tried to hide just blew up in his face over night. It was all his fault, and he should have never told his daughter such a big secret. She never could have kept it to herself for very long, and he was wrong for thinking she could- or should.

Ben turned his head when he saw Rocky approaching. "What more do you want?" He asked flatly.

"I want my brother back... I'm gonna call my house and let my family know what happened... Sir, you have nothing to be ashamed of... affairs happen all the time." He tried to be empathetic, but he had a hard time stomaching what he had heard too. He needed his time to take it all in, but that would have to wait, he wanted this all over as soon as it could be done.

With the sounds of Jamie crying softly and Colt comforting her filling the air, Rocky turned away to leave, but stopped as John stepped into his path. "John, don't do this." He warned.

"You... better let my brother see this family." He stammered the words out, on the verge of tears his self.

Rocky frowned looking into the males eyes. He saw so much of his self in John from just the short time they had spent in each others company. He even thinks that they could have been friends if they met under different circumstances. "John, what Colt does is his own business, I can't stop him from doing what he wants." Glancing over his shoulder at his brother, he then looks back at John. "But he's already stated that he still wants to get to know your family. What more do you want?"

"Ha, calm as the summer breeze." It was hard to tell if the boy were mocking Rocky or complimenting him. "You're just like Jeff said you are." Holding out a hand, he smiled. "I can't be mad at you for getting a job done... if the roles were reversed, I'd of done the same thing."

Rocky took John's hand and gave it a shake. "Thanks... I think."

Stepping aside, John pats Rocky's shoulder. "See you when he comes to visit?"

That took him by surprise, Rocky thought it over. It was kind of strange to tell the truth, but he didn't see any harm in it. "Why not, besides, Anna seems to like me and it's never been my style to flirt without following through."

"Hey watch it, she's still my sister." He teased.

"Bye John." Walking out the door, he closed it behind him.

The next course of action took a months worth of time. The court dates that were set, the arrangements that were made. The screams and yells, accusations. Pressing charges; Sabrina's release date. It would make a persons head spin.

But through it all Colt remained the same. And when it was time to say goodbye, he was standing outside of the door to the McRae home. His half family standing before him as well. They had used what time wasn't spent in court getting to know the the Jeffrey behind Jefferson's mask and they found they liked him a lot better. Jamie still cried at night for her son, but she forgave her husband in the end and decided that a divorce wasn't going to happen.

"Aaaw you guys, why'd you make me like you in the end."

"Real nice Jeff," mutters Anna.

"I knew you'd be the first to say something, so I'll say good bye to you the person who'll miss me most." He hugged his sister. "You know, we really do look a lot alike- ugly me." He laughed.

Annalisse shoved out of his hug, though she had a playful smile on her face. "You're such a jerk. But, I'll miss you too- though, not as much as Tasha."

"Yikes, I forgot about her..."

"Must have been the best few moments of your life." John commented.

Colt laughed at that. "I love you sis,"

"I love you too." She hugged him again.

"I don't want you to go," Jeremy cried. "You said you'd teach me guitar."

"And I will." He knelt down to be eye level with him. "Here, I got this for you,"

"A guitar pick... cool!"

"This way you'll always remember, and since that one is my favorite I'll always know."

Jeremy smiled at his brother and embraced him. "Thanks Jeff, I'll miss you."

"You too squirt." He ruffled the boys hair as he stood. Going over to his brother, he smiled. "Johnny boy."

"Hey don't start. You gotta be a man with me." He pulled him into a hug.

"Hahaha, you scarecrow, I'll miss the most."

"Diddo."

Pulling away from them, he looked at Jamie and frowned. "Don't be like that, you're gonna make me sad."

"I'm sorry, I know I said I wouldn't cry but..." She curled into herself to cry.

Colt hugged her, and rocked her back and forth. "I'll be here... anytime."

"I know."

And that was all they could say, anymore would resort to full blown tears from the woman.

"Dad... I'll see you around."

"Yeah, goodbye son."

"Good bye." Shaking his hand, Ben pulled Colt into a hug and pats his sons back. "Take care."

"I will." Pulling away, he waved a hand to his family and walked to the waiting cab that would take him home. His real home. Once inside he closed the door and sat back, relaxing a bit.

"Heeey, I remember you."

"Hahaha, any chance you're a kidnapper lookin' for some quick cash?"

"Not a chance." The man started away from the curb to take Colt to the airport.

So whatever happened to Jeffery? He set a little baby free that had been waiting to live on for ages. And he brought his self home.

THE END


End file.
